


down in the city just you and me

by laminy



Series: and the night followed day, and the story tellers say [7]
Category: American (US) Actor RPF, Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, British Actor RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Anniversary, Blow Jobs, Dating, Dirty Talk, Domestic Fluff, Epic Friendship, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Hand Jobs, Light Angst, M/M, Meet the Family, New York City, Rimming, Romance, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-12-13 20:07:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 83,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21003422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laminy/pseuds/laminy
Summary: To celebrate Joe and Rami's first anniversary (and to finally get them all to that Yankees game), the four boys go on holiday to New York City.(takes place in June 2040)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (the majority of this story will be rated teen, but it will go up at some point, and I will make note of it when it does)

Ben can’t believe that, once again, Joe booked the earliest bloody flight to New York. What was wrong with getting a bit of a Sunday lie in? At least he’s not stuck outside freezing his arse off like he was in December. It should be warm, but there’s a bit of rain drizzling down, so he’s got a bomber jacket on as he sits on the top of his suitcase, waiting outside for Joe and Rami to come down. He sighs, glancing at his phone. Every minute that ticks by without the two of them coming down, he grumpily thinks is another minute he could have spent sleeping, warm and comfy and _dry_ in his bed. He looks up when he hears the door finally open, standing up.

“Hi,” Joe says, waving at him.

“Sorry,” Rami says, hurrying behind Joe, “I was saying goodbye to Augie.”

“He’ll be alright, yeah?” Ben asks.

Joe nods. “He’ll be _fine_, Rami’s just nervous.”

“Of course I am,” Rami says. “I don’t like leaving him.” He glances back at the building one more time, a sad look on his face. “What if he thinks we’re gone? What if he thinks we’re leaving him for good?”

“Oh god,” Joe mutters. 

Ben smiles, reaching out to take Rami by the shoulder. “He’ll be alright,” he assures him softly, “Nelly will take good care of him, I promise.”

Rami sighs, then nods. “I know,” he says quietly. “I just miss him.”

Ben nods. “I know, but he’s a good lad, he’ll be fine. Besides, think of how happy he'll be to see you when you get back."

Rami smiles at that. “Thank you,” he says. 

Joe taps his foot impatiently, then sighs. “If the car’s not here in like, one minute, I’m gonna lose my mind,” he says.

“We gave ourselves plenty of time,” Rami says, glancing over at him.

“I know,” Joe says, “but still.” He looks over at Ben. “Have you talked to Gwil yet?” he asks. “Is he up?”

Ben nods. “He was up before me, don’t worry about that,” he says. “Woke up to plenty of cheery good morning texts.”

Rami smiles at him, then turns when he hears a car pull up alongside them. “Oh!” he says.

The driver pops the boot and Ben frowns, wondering how all of their suitcases, plus Gwil’s, are going to fit in there. He leaves Rami, with his engineering mind, to figure that out for them. Their bags fit in fairly easily, but whatever Gwil brings is going to have to go somewhere else.

“Who should sit up front?” Rami asks, glancing between Ben and Joe.

Joe shrugs. “I will, no worries, babe.” He kisses Rami on the cheek as he walks by him, going to the front seat.

“I hope there’s not a lot of traffic,” Rami says.

Ben just smiles. It’s 4 o’clock in the morning, he can’t imagine there’s going to be _that_ much traffic on the way to Heathrow. That’s the one good thing, he thinks. When Joe and Rami flew in December, they left from Gatwick and had a layover in Dublin. They decided that since it’s Gwil’s first time on a plane, and they’re trying to make him as comfortable as possible, that they’d go for the shortest flight they could, direct from Heathrow to JFK. Joe wanted them to fly business so they could get seats that converted into beds, but Gwil had just smiled and said no, that wasn’t necessary. They did agree to fly premium, though, for the extra legroom. Even though Gwil is by far the only one of them who needs it.

Rami and Ben slide into the back of the car, and Joe gives the driver the address to Gwil’s flat. It will only be a short drive this time of day.

“I’ll let him know we’re coming,” Ben says, sending Gwil a quick text. 

Rami smiles over at him. “Are you excited?” he asks.

Ben nods happily. “For this flight? No,” he says. “But for New York? Absolutely. I think this trip is going to be brilliant.”

“Me too,” Rami says softly, reaching over to gently squeeze Ben’s hand. “I’m so happy we’re all going on holiday together.”

“Me too,” Ben agrees. He yawns loudly, and sinks down a little in his seat, snuggling against him.

Rami laughs and wraps his arm around Ben’s shoulder, pulling him in. “Are you going to sleep on the plane?” he asks.

“Probably not,” Ben says, “but I’ll try.”

“You can use me as a pillow, if you’d like,” Rami says, and Ben laughs.

“Thank you,” Ben says. “I don’t think I’ll be able to control it anyway. If I fall asleep and then my head will just,” he tilts his head dramatically to the side, and then smiles. 

“Oh, buy one of those neck pillows,” Rami says. “Joe and I saw all sorts of people wearing them when we flew in December.”

“They look so silly, don’t they?” Ben asks.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Rami says. “I won’t laugh at you.”

Ben chuckles, then yawns again. “Thank you, Rami, I appreciate that. You’re so kind.”

“Oh my god,” Joe mutters from the front seat, “could you two stop flirting for like five seconds?” Ben and Rami start to laugh, and Joe glances back at them. “Just wait,” Joe says, “once Gwil gets in this car I’m gonna be _all_ over him.” He looks at the driver, giving him an apologetic smile.

Ben rolls his eyes, snuggling against Rami a bit more. He watches the buildings go by the window, then straightens up after a few minutes as they pass the pub that’s less a minute before Gwil’s flat. “Just anywhere here,” Ben says, and the driver pulls over. They all turn to look, and after just a few seconds, the door to Gwil’s building opens, and he comes out, wearing a dark jeans, white sneakers, and a blue shirt that almost matches the colour of his eyes.

Joe glances back at Ben and Rami and smiles. “Damn, maybe I _am_ going to be all over him,” he says. “He looks good.”

Ben rolls his eyes. “I don’t know who he thinks he’s trying to impress,” he says.

“The whole of New York,” Rami says, and Ben smiles.

“Morning,” Gwil says, opening the door. “Is there room in there for me?” he asks.

“Just the suitcase,” Joe says. “We’re gonna have to strap you to the roof.”

“Oh, brilliant,” Gwil says, and Ben and Rami slide over so that Ben’s pressed up against the door, Rami squeezed in the middle as Gwil climbs in. His legs are bent awkwardly so that his suitcase can fit between them, and then he reaches out, pulling the door closed behind him. “How are we today?” he asks.

“Well, thank you,” Rami says, resting his head against Gwil’s arm. “I’m so happy,” he says.

“Me too,” Gwil says. He leans forward in his seat a bit, looking over at Ben. “Hi.”

Ben smiles, giving him a quick wave. “Hi.”

“Sleep well?” Gwil asks.

Ben shrugs. “I don’t even know if I’m currently awake.”

“Hmm, you look alright,” Gwil says, and he settles back in his seat. “Good morning, Joe,” he says.

“Hello, handsome,” Joe says, glancing over his shoulder. “You got a modelling gig in New York or something we don't know about?”

Gwil laughs softly, then looks down at what he’s wearing. “It’s alright, isn’t it?” he asks Rami.

“It’s fine,” Rami says, “you look very sharp.”

“Oh, thank you,” Gwil says. "I just, well, thought it was nice."

"I like that shirt," Rami says.

Gwil smiles at him and then turns to stifle a yawn. He pats his pocket and takes out his phone. He blinks a couple times at the bright light, then rubs his eyes and unzips the top of his bag just a bit, reaching to grab his glasses case.

Ben swallows hard, watching Gwil put on his glasses. “What are those?” he asks.

“Hmm?” Gwil asks, looking up. “Oh, I told you I was getting new glasses for the trip, didn’t I?” he asks, reaching up to touch the edge of the frames.

“Yes,” Ben says, “but you didn’t say they were going to look like _that_.”

Gwil frowns, then looks at Rami. “What’s wrong with them?” he asks.

“They’re _very_ nice,” Rami says, nodding. “You look very handsome.”

Joe glances back again, and then his eyes widen. “Seriously, Gwil, what the hell? Who’s gonna pay any attention to me if you’re walking around looking like that!”

“I didn’t think I looked like anything,” Gwil says. “We’re going on holiday, I wanted to look nice.”

“You do,” Rami says. “But I think most people wear comfier clothes on a plane.”

“Oh,” Gwil says, then he shrugs. “Yeah, you might be right. Is it okay? Or I can— I can change at the airport, if you’d like.”

“_Yes_,” Joe says, at the same time Rami smiles and shakes his head no.

“Ben?” Gwil asks.

Joe snorts. “Don't ask Ben. He's currently trying to figure out how the two of you are going to fit in the airplane bathroom together,” he says. Rami and Gwil both look at Joe in confusion. “The mile-high club,” he says, and Rami and Gwil just shrug, not getting the reference. Joe sighs. “You know,” he says, “_sex_,” he says in a loud whisper.

“On the plane?” Rami asks in surprise. “There’s not enough room.” He looks back and forth between Ben and Gwil, sizing them up. “There’s _definitely_ not enough room.”

Ben starts to blush, and Joe starts to laugh, settling back in his seat.

“I, well,” Gwil says, swallowing hard, “I certainly wasn’t imagining _that_,” he says. “Ben?”

“Ignore him,” Ben says. “I wasn’t— no.” He sighs, scrubbing his hand over his face. It was going to be a long drive to Heathrow.

\+ + + + +

This time, instead of getting coffee before security, the four of them check their bags and then go through security together. Gwil nervously clutches at his passport, giving Ben a weak smile when Ben looks up at him.

“Are you okay?” Ben asks softly.

Gwil nods. “Just— the uh, well, security. They’re probably going to look at this and think it’s quite strange.”

“Yeah, probably,” Ben says. “But Rami made it through alright last time, didn’t he?”

Gwil nods. “Right,” he says softly.

Ben smiles, slipping his hand into Gwil’s, giving him a gentle squeeze. “If they have any questions, I can talk to them. I can tell them who you are.” He smiles again and leans up, giving him a soft kiss. “I may not work for the IIS anymore but I can certainly distract someone with some policy talk. Just tell them I'm your lawyer."

Gwil laughs softly, and nods. “Thank you,” he says.

Ben settles against Gwil, slowly moving forward through the security line. When Gwil’s called forward, he drops his hand from Ben’s and nervously glances back at him, walking forward. Ben gives him an encouraging smile, then sighs, looking around as he waits to be called ahead as well. When he gets through, Rami, Joe, and Gwil are all waiting for him, and Ben smiles. “They’re letting you on?” he asks.

“Idiots,” Joe says. “I wouldn’t trust these two.” He leans in towards them, looking around suspiciously. “Spies,” he says, nodding. “World War II spies.”

“Oh my god, Joe,” Rami says, shaking his head.

Joe grins. “Who’s hungry?” he asks.

Ben nods, and follows along behind Joe and Rami, taking Gwil’s hand again. He doesn’t actually plan on eating; he’s not much for it on days he has to fly, for fear his anxiety will get the best of him and he’ll get sick on the plane. They walk towards a cafe, and the other three order coffee and breakfast sandwiches. 

“What do you want, love?” Gwil asks, taking out his wallet.

Ben just shakes his head. “I’m fine, thanks,” he says, smiling.

“Nothing?” Gwil asks in surprise. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Ben says. He looks around. “Maybe just a bottle of water,” he says, gesturing towards the refrigerator behind the counter.

“Uh, yes, that,” Gwil says, nodding. He pays, and then looks back at Ben. “You’re going to be hungry,” he says.

“No, I’m fine,” Ben assures him. 

“Okay,” Gwil says hesitantly, handing Ben his bottle of water. 

The four of them sit down at a small table by the wall, and Ben opens his water, taking a small sip, then screwing the cap back on.

“Are you feeling well?” Rami asks.

Ben nods. “Yeah, brilliant, thanks. You?”

“Mm-hmm,” Rami nods. “Yes.”

Ben smiles and then yawns loudly, shifting in his seat, hunching forward. Gwil reaches out, rubbing his hand over Ben’s back a couple times, and Ben smiles at him.

“Do you want a bite?” Gwil asks, gesturing towards his sandwich.

Ben just shakes his head. “No, thank you.”

“Okay,” Gwil says softly.

“How far is our hotel from the airport?” Rami asks. 

“At least an hour, depending on traffic,” Joe says.

Rami sighs, pouting a little. “And how far to the stadium from there?” he asks.

“Uh, a lot less,” Joe says. “I don’t know, maybe twenty minutes on the subway?”

“Oh, that’s not too bad, then,” Rami says. 

“I hope everyone brought their jerseys!” Joe says, and the other three all smile.

“_Yes_, Joe,” Ben says.

“As if the reminder text you sent us all yesterday wasn’t enough,” Gwil says.

“I just want to make sure!” Joe says, raising his hands in surrender. “You know, we gotta look the part. Make you yahoos blend in. It’s your first baseball game! How exciting!” He looks around at them. “Someone else be excited with me! Ben?”

Ben smiles and nods. “I’m _very_ excited,” he assures him. “Promise. I promise. This trip is going to be lovely.”

“What are we going to do when we get there?” Rami asks.

“By then we’ll probably be starved to death,” Joe says, “so I figured, check into the hotel, and then lunch?” The other three nod. 

Gwil shifts a bit in his seat, leaning towards Ben. “Will you eat then?” he asks quietly.

Ben nods. “Yeah, absolutely.”

“Okay,” Gwil says, and he reaches out to take Ben’s hand. “You promise you’re alright?”

“It’s just his thing,” Joe says, and Ben and Gwil both glance over at him. “He doesn’t eat when he flies. He’s fine.”

Ben looks back at Gwil, smiling. “He’s right, I’m fine.”

“Do you get ill on planes?” Rami asks.

Ben shrugs. “Um, I have, yeah. Just safer this way.” He smiles. “I’m _fine_. Please. So. Lunch. Then what?”

“We can walk around the park,” Joe says. “That might be nice. Stretch our legs. I can show you guys around. I know everything in New York is kind of a tourist trap, but—”

“We’re tourists,” Gwil says, and Joe smiles.

“Exactly,” he says.

“I’m fine with that,” Gwil says, nodding. “I’m— whatever you’d like to do, Joe. I’m happy to just follow you around. You grew up there, you know what’s best.”

Joe practically beams at him, leaning over to playfully rest his head against Gwil’s arm. “Gwil, stop, you know I’m engaged. Rami’s _right there_.”

Gwil quickly glances at Rami and Ben, who are both watching them with an amused look on their face. He reaches his hand up, caressing Joe’s cheek. “Why deny it any longer?” he asks.

Joe lifts his head up. “Ooh, unexpected, but I like where this is going. Gwil, are you confessing your love to me?” he asks.

“I suppose I am,” Gwil says. 

“I mean, I’m on board,” Joe says, shrugging.

“Oh my god,” Ben mutters, rolling his eyes.

“Rami, give Gwil your ring,” Joe says, holding his hand out to him.

“I will not,” Rami says.

“Rami,” Joe whines, “Gwil’s finally in love with me. I’ve been waiting for this. Give him your ring.”

“But it's _mine_,” Rami says, clutching his left hand to his chest.

Ben smiles. “Go on, Rami. Give him yours. I’ll buy you one in New York. One that's _much_ nicer.”

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Joe says, “Ben. You can’t be making moves on Rami, he’s my fiancé.”

“You’re dumping him for my boyfriend,” Ben says.

“No,” Joe says, “I’m going to date both of them. They'll be like sister wives.”

Ben snorts at that, starting to laugh. “Oh, well then. And where does that leave me?”

Joe shrugs. “Not my problem.”

“Well, I’ll just take a taxi home then, won’t I?” Ben says. “You three can share a hotel room?”

“It all sounds good to me so far,” Joe says.

Ben smiles. “Alright,” he nods. “And when I get back into the city, I’ll just…let myself into your flat, go pick up Augie—”

Joe gasps dramatically. “_No_!”

“Well, I’m going to need something to comfort me, Joe,” Ben says. “So you choose: Augie or Gwil.”

Joe bites down on his lip, glancing between Gwil and Ben. He sighs. “I’m sorry, Gwil,” he says finally, reaching out to take Gwil’s hand. “It was fun while it lasted. But…I can’t give up Augie.”

“It’s alright,” Gwil says, nodding. “I understand.”

“You’re all idiots,” Rami says, taking a drink of his coffee.

“Yes, but we’re _your_ idiots,” Joe says, and Rami just shakes his head. “Come on, gimme a kiss,” he says, leaning towards Rami. 

“No,” Rami says.

“Come on, you wanna join the mile-high club with me?” Joe asks, leaning in to kiss Rami’s neck, and Rami jerks away, starting to laugh despite himself.

“_No_,” Rami says insistently, “ask your new boyfriend.”

“This is going to be the flight from hell,” Ben says, turning to Gwil.

Gwil grins, leaning in to give Ben a kiss. “Yes, but we knew that as soon as Joe booked it, didn’t we?” he asks.

Ben smiles, nodding. “Yeah, I suppose.” He snuggles up against Gwil’s side, taking a deep breath, then yawning, closing his eyes.

“Aww, so sweet,” Joe says, and if Ben’s eyes were open, he’d roll them right now. Instead, he settles for giving Joe the finger.

“_Rude_."

\+ + + + +

Gwil has to duck his head quite a bit as they step onto the plane, and he reaches back, holding onto Ben’s hand. The four of them are all sitting together in the middle row, but they didn’t really discuss what order they’d be in. Taking a look at how cramped everything is, even with their extra leg room, Gwil hopes that he can take the aisle seat. He wants to sit next to Ben, but he also wants to sit next to Rami. Joe and Rami are walking ahead of them, and he lets Joe find their seats, then glances back at Ben, giving him a small smile.

“Who’s sitting where?” Joe asks.

“I’d like to be on the aisle,” Ben says.

“Oh,” Gwil says. “I— would too.”

“Great, me and Rami in the middle,” Joe says. “You good, babe?”

Rami nods. “That’s fine.”

“I’ll uh, I’ll go in then,” Gwil says, walking into the row of seats, taking the last one. Rami sits beside him, then Joe, then Ben on the other aisle in the other end seat.

“Are you alright?” Rami asks, glancing up at Gwil as he stows his carry-on beneath the seat in front of him. “It’s quite scary, isn’t it?”

“Strange,” Gwil says, nodding. “I uh, well, I didn’t think it would bother me that much.”

“It’s okay,” Rami says. “It’s your first time.” He smiles and holds his hand out to Gwil. “You can hold my hand if you’d like.”

Gwil smiles and nods, taking Rami’s hand in his. “I uh,” he takes a shaky breath, “just a bit nervous. That’s all.”

“This is worse than when we left on the Mercury,” Rami says. “I was the nervous one then.”

Gwil nods, glancing down at his hand, clenching his fingers a bit. “I’m not sure what it is, really,” he says softly. The lie makes his stomach feel a bit sour.

“Just nerves,” Rami says, “it’s alright. Joe says they’re very safe. I read all the statistics about them when we traveled in December. Much safer than cars, even now that they drive themselves.”

Gwil nods. "God," he says suddenly, "do the planes fly themselves?"

"Sometimes," Rami says. "But there are still pilots."

"Oh, alright," Gwil says softly. He looks around the cabin of the plane, then smiles a bit when sees Ben, quietly talking to Joe. Ben reaches up to push his hair back and Gwil breathes a bit of a sigh of relief when he sees Ben’s ring.

Rami glances to the side, seeing what Gwil’s eyes are focused on, and then he smiles. “Is it Ben?” he asks.

“Is what Ben?” Gwil asks, looking back at him.

“That you’re worried about,” Rami says. “It is odd that he didn’t eat, but I think he’s really okay.”

“No, I know,” Gwil says, “it’s not that.” He sighs, then shakes his head a bit.

“It’s just nerves,” Rami says softly, squeezing his hand. “It’s alright. I’ll be here the whole time, and you can squeeze my fingers as tightly as you need.”

Gwil laughs softly. “I’m fine.” He gently clears his throat, and settles back in his seat, trying to get comfortable. “Really, I’m— fine.”

“Gwil, it’s alright,” Rami says. “No one minds.”

“I know, I know,” Gwil says, nodding. “I’m just— tired, I suppose.”

Rami nods. “Maybe, yes,” he agrees. “They don’t like you to sleep while they’re talking about the exits and things, but after that, it’s alright.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. “Thank you.” He lets out a breath, and closes his eyes anyway.

Rami glances back over at Joe and Ben. Joe looks immediately comfortable, and like he may be asleep already, while Ben keeps shifting nervously, like he can’t sit still. Rami sighs. He’s already dreading how long this flight is going to be.

\+ + + + +

Rami and Joe end up sleeping for the first few hours, Rami’s head on Joe’s shoulder, the two of them curled up together. On the aisles, both Gwil and Ben spend most of their time uncomfortably shifting around. Both of them sort of regret picking the aisle seats, just because it means they’re so far apart, but they’re both also glad for it, because otherwise they’d feel too cramped and claustrophobic in the middle. Every once in awhile, Gwil will glance at Ben, or Ben will glance at him, and they’ll catch the other’s eye and smile at each other.

Joe wakes up first, when he shifts away from Rami and knocks his head against Ben’s shoulder. “Ow,” he murmurs, opening his eyes. “You’re not Rami.”

“I’m not?” Ben asks. “Don't sound so disappointed.”

Joe smiles. “How’re you?” he asks.

“Tired,” Ben says.

“No sleep?” Joe asks. Ben shakes his head. “What about him?” he asks, jerking his head back towards Gwil. Ben shakes his head again. Joe shifts in his seat, looking over at Gwil, leaning a bit forward to see past Rami, who’s still asleep. “You okay?” he asks softly.

Gwil nods, pushing his glasses up a bit to rub at his eyes. “Tired,” he says, then yawns as if on cue.

Joe reaches over, giving him a comforting smile and patting his knee a couple times. “I’m sorry, big guy,” he says. “I wish I could help.”

Gwil shrugs. “It’s alright. It’s just…” He glances down at his watch. “Another…four and-a-half hours to go.”

“Jesus Christ,” Joe mutters, head falling forward for a moment.

“What’s,” Rami starts, mumbling afterward, eyes slowly opening. 

Joe chuckles softly. “What was that, babe?” he teases.

Rami groans and pushes at Joe, turning to snuggle his face into Gwil’s shoulder, closing his eyes again.

“Oh, wow, okay,” Joe says, sitting back. “I see how it is.”

“Sorry, mate,” Gwil says, smiling at Joe, “can’t help it if he prefers me.”

“Don’t think I won’t steal your boyfriend,” Joe says, reaching out to take Ben’s hand.

“Oh god, I’m too tired to be dragged into this,” Ben groans. "Joe, that's three boyfriends you've had today alone."

“Ben, tell him you love him more than me,” Joe whines.

“Please stop,” Ben says. He rubs at his eyes, sighing.

“You okay?” Joe asks.

“Just wish we were there already,” Ben mutters. “Four-and-a-half hours, bloody hell, Joe, just get your family to move to England already.”

“I’ve tried,” Joe says, “but something something I annoy them too much.”

Ben smiles. “That’s not what they said,” he says.

“No, it’s not,” Joe says. “I mean, I’d love it if they moved, but…”

“Would you move there?” Ben asks.

“I don’t know,” Joe says. “I…don’t really want to, but like, when we have a kid, my mom is literally their only grandparent. What, I just— I don’t know. She gets to see John and Mary’s kids all the time, and ours is just going to be like…”

“Yeah,” Ben says softly. “Where could you meet, what’s in the middle?”

“Just fucking move to Iceland?” Joe asks, starting to laugh.

Ben laughs as well. “I don’t know, I’ve heard it’s beautiful there. I’m _trying_ to help.”

“I know, I know,” Joe says. “I…don’t know. If we moved to New York, I’d— Rami’d be losing the only family he has, _again_. I can’t take him away from Nelly. Or Gwil. He’d dump my ass in a heartbeat.”

“I…wouldn’t put it like _that_,” Ben says, leaning forward a bit to watch Gwil gently brushing a curl from Rami’s face, “but I— yeah, I think making Rami move an ocean away from Gwil might end in tears. For someone.”

“It’d be me, just fyi,” Joe says, and Ben smiles.

“Probably, yeah,” Ben says.

Joe glances to the side, then shifts in his seat, turning a bit closer to Ben. “What about you?” he asks quietly.

“I’m not moving to New York,” Ben says.

“No,” Joe says, “with your…school thing. Have you talked to Gwil about where you’re applying yet?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No, not yet,” he says softly, discretely looking forward to see if Gwil’s paying any attention to them, but his eyes are closed again.

“Why not?” Joe asks. “What do you think he’s going to do?”

“Nothing,” Ben says, and he glances towards Gwil again, praying he’s not listening to them, “I just…I’m still trying to figure it out, what if I don’t get in anywhere? I don’t want to embarrass myself by getting his hopes up.”

“Ben, you’re a goddamn genius,” Joe says, “why wouldn’t you get in?”

“Please don’t say that,” Ben says, “I just…I’m still just looking, I— only one of the courses is in London.” He swallows hard. “What if I don’t get in _there_?” he asks.

“Then we figure that out,” Joe says. “But you know you should talk to him.”

“I know,” Ben says. “I know.”

“Well, we’re going to be in New York, _you’re_ going to be with him 24/7, for over a week,” Joe says. “That’s a lot of time, you know. To talk. To your boyfriend. Who loves you, and supports all your academic endeavors.”

Ben sighs. “Joe, I know, please, can we just— I _will_,” he says. “I promise.”

“I’m not letting you on the plane home if you haven’t told him,” Joe says. “Do you want to be stuck in the US with Ginnie Mazzello breathing down your neck?”

“I like your mum,” Ben says.

Joe rolls his eyes. “Fine, you can put up with, _when are you getting married_, _when are you having a baby_, _why can’t you be more like Mary_?”

Ben chuckles softly. “Well, she and I do both have law degrees,” he says.

“Oh, goddammit, you’re perfect,” Joe says. “You know, you think your parents like you until they’re like, nope, time to have _another_ son.” Ben smiles at him. “I gotta say though, she’s gonna tear you and Gwil apart. The questions she'll have. Oh, I can’t wait for this.” He rubs his hands together dramatically. 

“Oh, calm down,” Ben says. He shifts, taking a deep breath, suddenly clutching at the arm rests as the plane hits a small bump.

Joe glances over at Gwil and Rami, sees them curled up together, assumes they’re both asleep, and shifts a bit closer to Ben. “But still,” he says, “you’ll tell him, right?” he asks.

“Yes, Joe,” Ben says, taking a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut as the plane bounces a bit more.

“I can be there with you, when you do,” Joe says, “if you want.”

“No, that’s—” Ben shakes his head, whimpering a bit at another bump, “jesus _fuck_ they can send those two to space and they can’t get rid of turbulence on a plane?”

Joe smiles, reaching out to put his hand on Ben’s. “Do you need alcohol?” he asks.

“No,” Ben says, shaking his head again, “it’ll just make me sick.” The light turbulence stops, and Ben lets out of a sigh of relief. “That was terrible,” he mutters.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Joe says. “Gwil and Rami slept through it.”

“They lived on a spaceship for a year, they don’t count,” Ben says.

Joe smiles. “Only four hours left, right?” he says, and Ben closes his eyes, whining a bit. “You wanna watch a movie?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No, not really,” he says.

“You wanna cuddle with me while I watch a movie?” Joe asks.

Ben looks at him for a moment, and then nods a bit. “Yeah, that— alright,” he says softly.

“C’me here,” Joe says, lifting up the arm rest in-between them, and Ben shifts, resting against Joe’s side.

“I don’t know how long I can sit like this for,” Ben says.

“I know,” Joe says, reaching out to press on the screen, going through the film selections, “that’s okay. Sit up when you need to. Actually…” He pushes at Ben gently. “I’ll cuddle with _you_,” he says. They shift so that Ben’s sitting back in his seat, comfortable in a position that won’t upset his stomach, and Joe rests against him, picking out a film on Ben’s screen instead. “Tell me to move if you need,” Joe says, and Ben nods. “Is this movie okay?” he asks.

“I won’t watch it,” Ben says, and Joe smiles.

“I know, but still,” he says.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Ben says. He swallows hard, reaching up to rub at his eyes. He shifts a bit, and tries to get himself to relax just a bit. They’ve got four hours left, after all. He should at least try to be comfortable.

\+ + + + +

“I feel like death,” Ben mutters, grabbing his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, impatiently shifting back and forth on his feet, waiting for the people in the aisle in front of him to start moving. Joe stands up behind him, and then glances over at Gwil and Rami, who are moving into the other aisle.

Joe smiles and waves over at them, and Rami smiles back. “Yeah,” Joe says, turning back to Ben, “you look like it too.”

“Shut up,” Ben mutters.

“Joking, joking,” Joe says. “You look great, as usual.”

Ben sighs, and doesn’t reply, just slowly moves forward.

“I mean, not as great as _Gwil_,” Joe says, and Ben has to smile at that.

“Well, nobody does,” Ben says softly, and Joe smiles, clapping him on the back a couple times.

“Ha, you love him,” Joe says, and Ben glances back at him. “Come on, move it, buster, we’ve got places to go, things to do! People to see!”

“I’m going as fast as I can,” Ben murmurs.

“But Rami and Gwil are moving faster,” Joe whines, bouncing his foot up and down. “They’re going to get off and not know where to go.”

“Rami’s been here before,” Ben says.

“No, Rami’s been to Newark,” Joe says.

“Joe, they’ll _wait_,” Ben says, “they’re not about to run off to America.”

“Nope, this is their shot,” Joe says, and Ben rolls his eyes, “we’ll never see them again.”

“They’re _right there_,” Ben says, gesturing to the other aisle, where Gwil and Rami are slowly making their way to the front of the plane. “Stop being so dramatic.” Ben and Joe finally make it to the front of the plane, and politely thank the attendants before stepping off the plane, where Gwil and Rami are waiting for them. “Oh, haven’t run off, then?” he asks, leaning up to give Gwil a quick kiss.

“Where would I go?” Gwil asks, and Ben glances over at Joe.

“Ask him,” he says, and Gwil smiles. “How do you feel?” Ben asks softly as they start to walk up the boarding bridge.

“Long flight,” Gwil says, “legs are a bit…well, I’ll look forward to a long walk later.”

Ben nods, slipping one of his hands into Gwil’s.

“How was it this time?” Joe asks, leaning in to give Rami a kiss on the temple.

“Different, I suppose,” Rami says. “I liked last time because we got to stopover and stretch our legs, but at least this time we only had to land once.” He sighs. “It’s just so odd, I spent so long on the Mercury, but an eight-hour plane ride bothers me so much.”

“I’m sorry, babe,” Joe murmurs, wrapping his arm around Rami’s waist. “I wish it wasn’t so far away.”

Rami smiles faintly. “I know,” he says, “it’s not your fault. Not everything we do can be a five minute walk from our flat.”

“Too bad, huh,” Joe says. “Just walk across the street and see a Yankees game.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of seeing your mother, but sure,” Rami says, kissing him on the cheek.

The four of them find the closest bathroom, and then head through customs. Gwil nervously glances over at Ben before he’s called up to the counter, Ben giving him an encouraging smile. He’s sure that Rami and Gwil’s passports are…interesting, to say the least. But he’s willing to bet that someone here recognizes them. Either way, they all get through, no issue, and then the four of them go to find a taxi. They’re renting a car for their trip up to Hyde Park on the weekend, but Joe didn’t want to rent one for the entire time they were there.

“Should we split up, do you think?” Joe asks, glancing at Ben. “It’s gonna be a tight fit for a long drive.”

Ben sighs, then shrugs. “I guess, yeah, that’s fine.”

“You’re good?” Joe asks. “I can go with you, if you want.”

“No, of course not,” Ben says, “go with Rami. Besides I thought you were afraid of the two of them running off together.”

“Oh yeah, right,” Joe says. “Well, now I’m scared that you’re going to abandon me,” he smiles. “Disappear into the city.”

“Fly back to London, more like,” Ben says. “Finally get rid of you.”

Joe rolls his eyes. “We’re gonna split up, okay?” he says, reaching out to take Rami’s hand. “It’s going to be at least an hour,” he says, “and it’ll probably suck being shoved in a car together. Okay?”

“Uh, that’s alright by me,” Rami says, “if it’s okay with Gwil.”

Gwil swallows and nods, “yes, yes, that’s— it’s just until the hotel, right?” he asks.

“Just so we have room to stretch out a bit,” Joe says.

“Okay,” Gwil nods, “that’s fine.”

“Okay,” Ben says, shifting a bit closer to Gwil. “It’s just until the hotel,” he echoes, and Gwil smiles. 

“Get you all to myself,” Gwil murmurs, wrapping his arm around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him in, and Ben smiles back.

“I don’t know what exactly you think will be happening in the back of a taxi,” Ben says.

Gwil shrugs. “It’s New York, anything can happen here,” he says.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Ben says, but he leans up to give Gwil a kiss anyway.

“You’ve got the address, right?” Joe asks. Ben nods, patting the pocket with his phone in it. “Okay,” he says, “see you there. _Behave_.”

Ben rolls his eyes, and shoos Joe and Rami into the first taxi, then he and Gwil move to the next in line. The driver takes their bags from them, and Ben and Gwil climb into the backseat, giving the driver the name of the hotel. At first Ben leaves the space between them, but then Gwil reaches out to him, and Ben slides over, sitting in the middle of the seat. He settles against Gwil and Gwil tilts his head, pressing a kiss to his temple. “What do you think?” he asks softly, snuggling against Gwil.

“Of what, New York?” Gwil asks. Ben nods. “Well…the airport’s alright.” Ben grins. “Might like to see a bit more though.”

“Nope, that’s it,” Ben says, “just the airport, that’s all we paid for.”

“Oh,” Gwil says. “Hmm, well then…bit of a disappointment, I’d say.” He smiles, kissing him again. “Although, I do rather enjoy spending time with you, so this isn’t too bad.”

Ben smiles, and closes his eyes. “You’d be happy with just a taxi ride and a flight back to London, if you got to spend it with me?” he asks.

“Of course, love,” Gwil says, snuggling against Ben, resting his arm around his shoulders, pulling him in.

“Joe might be a bit upset,” Ben says after a moment. “No Yankees game.”

Gwil chuckles. “He’d stopped being mates with us, for sure,” he says.

“Oh, is that all it will take?” Ben asks. “And here I’ve been, trying to get rid of him for years.”

“Oh, you’d miss him,” Gwil says.

“Hmm,” Ben murmurs. “Maybe I would.”

“Terrible,” Gwil says, smiling. “Even _I’d_ miss him. And I’m quite looking forward to the baseball game.” Gwil reaches up, starting to play with the hair at the back of Ben’s neck. “Did you sleep at all on the plane, love?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so,” he says.

“Then sleep now,” Gwil says. “Joe said we’ve got an hour at least, right?” 

Ben nods tiredly, reaching up to rub at his eyes. “What about you?” he asks.

Gwil shrugs, looking out the window. “I’m going to keep my eyes open and see New York for the first time, I think.”

Ben smiles faintly, and then relaxes against him, stifling a yawn. “Wake me if you see anything interesting,” he says softly.

Gwil smiles, and leans in, giving him one last kiss.

\+ + + + +

Rami nods to the taxi driver, smiling as he takes his bag from him. “Thank you very much,” he says quietly. He waits for Joe to pay, and then they turn, looking at the hotel.

“I know it’s not much to look at on the outside,” Joe says.

Rami shrugs. “It’s nice enough, I think. And we’re close to everything, right?” he asks.

Joe nods, and turns, pointing. “Central Park is about a ten minute walk that way.”

Rami grins. “Then it’s perfect.”

“Okay,” Joe says, leaning in to give Rami a kiss. “Do you know how close Ben and Gwil are?” he asks.

Rami shakes his head, “no, but I’ll text.”

“Okay, we’ll check in then and wait for them,” Joe says, opening the door for Rami.

They walk into the lobby, and Rami smiles, looking around. “It’s really lovely,” he says quietly.

“Yeah?” Joe asks. “I did alright?” Rami nods. “Okay, good,” Joe says, walking over to the counter.

Rami takes out his phone, sending a quick text to Gwil as he waits for Joe to check-in and get their keys. “He says he thinks they’re just a few minutes behind us,” Rami says, and Joe smiles.

“Okay, time to go upstairs then,” Joe says. “You wanna shower?” he asks.

Rami blushes a bit and looks down, then nods. “Sure,” he says, “that sounds nice.”

Joe winks and leans in, kissing him again. “Come on,” he says, taking Rami’s hand. “Text Gwil, tell him they should _shower_ too, we’ll meet in the lobby.” 

Rami takes Joe’s hand and follows him to the elevator. As they go up to their floor, he takes his phone out again, telling Gwil that he and Joe are going to take a few minutes to clean up and get ready. They step off the elevator and Joe looks at the room numbers, stopping at theirs. 

It’s a nice enough room, with a king-size bed. Rami doesn’t particularly care for the way it’s decorated, but he knows that doesn’t really matter. They drop their bags on the floor and take off their shoes, and Joe walks over to the window, looking out at the view.

“Is it nice?” Rami asks, and Joe pushes the curtains aside just a bit.

“What do you think?” Joe asks.

Rami smiles. “I think I’m happy to finally be here,” he says. “I’ve been excited for this trip since I suggested it.” He reaches out, clasping his arms around Joe’s neck, pulling him in. “I’m so happy, Joe,” he says softly, and he leans in to brush his lips against his, then shifts, kissing him a bit harder. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Joe murmurs, running his hands up and down Rami’s back. “Last time we were in New York I proposed to you,” he says.

Rami smiles. “It’s not like I’ve forgotten,” he says.

“Just checking,” Joe says, and he gives Rami another kiss. “I could remind you, though, if you’d like.”

“How would you do that?” Rami asks, kissing him.

Joe smirks. “If you come with me to the shower, I can show you,” he says. He takes Rami’s hand and leads him into the bathroom, flicking on the light. “Ooh, nice,” he says to himself, then glances over at Rami. 

“It is,” Rami nods in agreement. 

Joe reaches into the shower and turns on the water, sticking his hand under the stream for a couple moments. When he turns back around, Rami’s got his shirt off, and is working on taking off his trousers. “Ooh, _very_ nice,” he says, quickly pulling his own shirt off.

\+ + + + +

Ben looks up when the elevator dings, and he rolls his eyes a bit when he sees the dopey smile on Joe’s face. “We were waiting for you two to finish shagging?” he asks.

“We weren’t _shagging_,” Joe says in a mocking voice. “Well, wait, actually—”

“What do you think of the hotel?” Rami suddenly asks Gwil and Ben. “Isn’t it lovely?”

Gwil chuckles softly, standing up from the small table he and Ben were waiting at. “Yes, it is,” he says. “Good job, Joe,” he says.

“Thanks,” Joe says. “You guys wanna head out into the big city and find some lunch?”

“Absolutely,” Ben says, “I’m starving.”

“I imagine,” Rami says, holding the door open for them as they walk outside. “You didn’t eat any breakfast,” he says. “Are you alright now?” 

Ben nods. “Yes. Now that my feet are on solid ground, and will be for the next week, I’m great.”

“Is there anywhere around here you’d like to go?” Gwil asks Joe. “A good place you know about?”

Joe shrugs. “Uh, there’s loads around. Depends on if you want local cuisine, or just something quick and easy, there are some chain places. I know there’s a couple sushi places, uh, a couple Italian places…” Joe takes out his phone, looking at the restaurants in the area. “Ooh,” he says, “Moroccan?” he asks, looking at Rami.

“Oh, really?” Rami asks. “I— I would quite like that,” he says. He looks around at Ben and Gwil. “If that’s alright.”

“Of course,” Gwil says, nodding. 

“I like the sounds of that,” Ben says. “Have we eaten Moroccan before?” he asks.

“It’s only like ten minutes away,” Joe says, and they head south on Broadway. 

Ben watches Gwil for a few moments, taking in the way he looks around at the buildings, a faint smile on his face. He reaches out to take Gwil’s hand, squeezing it gently. “What do you think?” he asks softly.

Gwil smiles at him, tugging him in a bit closer. “Nicer than the taxi ride,” he says.

“Oh?” Ben asks. “Just wait until you see the park.”

Gwil smiles. “It can’t be that _much_ nicer than Hyde,” he says, and Joe scoffs.

“Gwil, it’s Central Park,” Joe says. “It’s— oh my god, Gwil. Is it nicer than Hyde Park,” he mutters, shaking his head. “I’ve got a couple things I want to show you there.” He smiles at Rami. “You’re going to love it.”

\+ + + + +

“Joe, it’s silly to have my eyes closed when nobody else does,” Rami says, clutching at Joe’s hand. “What sort of surprise can there be here?”

“Come on, please,” Joe says, “this is like, the _one_ cool thing I can show you. Just one second longer.”

“Can you two see it?” Rami asks.

“We can,” Ben says. 

“What is it?” Rami asks.

Ben laughs. “If I ruin the surprise, I think Joe will have my head.”

“Damn right I will,” Joe says, leading Rami down the footpath. “I just hope you think it’s actually cool, otherwise I’ll look like an idiot.”

“An even bigger one, you mean,” Ben says, and he laughs when Joe reaches out to playfully push at him.

“Look at that,” Gwil says softly as the trees clear and they can see the obelisk with nothing blocking the view.

“Can I?” Rami asks.

Joe sighs. “Okay, fine,” he says, and Rami opens his eyes, immediately smiling.

“Are those hieroglyphs?” Rami asks, hurrying over to the obelisk, looking at the plaques around the bottom of it.

“They are,” Joe nods, following after him. “I know it’s kind of like, oh, Rami’s Egyptian, let’s show him all the cool Egyptian shit in New York, but…I mean, you’re Egyptian! And it’s cool, right?”

Rami nods. “I like it,” he says. “Right here, in Central Park? People just…I love it,” he says.

“It’s from 1475 BCE,” Joe says, “in Heliopolis. It’s called Cleopatra’s Needle.”

“Hmm,” Rami says, looking up at it, smiling at the red granite, and then looking back down at the translation of the hieroglyphs. He reads it to himself, while Joe takes out his phone, taking a couple of photos of Rami in front of the obelisk while he’s unaware.

“Tall,” Gwil murmurs, lifting his hand to shade his eyes as he looks up at the obelisk, and Ben smiles.

“Almost as tall as you,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs.

“Ha ha,” Gwil says sarcastically, and Ben snorts. “Have you considered the possibility that you’re all just short?” he asks.

“I just wonder how much taller you must have seemed a hundred years ago,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs, rolling his eyes. 

“Very,” Rami says, not looking up from the plaques, and Ben laughs loudly.

“Shall I just go back to the hotel?” Gwil asks, and he reaches out, pulling Ben towards him, wrapping his arms around him.

“No, stay,” Ben says, burying his face in Gwil’s chest. “Don’t leave me alone with them, they’re terrible.”

“Okay, love,” Gwil says, kissing the top of Ben’s head, “since they’re so terrible.”

“I’ve got a surprise for you too, big guy,” Joe says, walking over to pat him a couple times on the arm, “I’m an equal opportunity lover. Don’t want anybody feeling left out. Bit of a hike, though, we’re all wearing comfy shoes?”

“Oh, I’m not done here yet, please,” Rami says, glancing over as he moves to another side of the obelisk.

Joe smiles and walks back over to him, taking his head. “No, of course not, babe,” he says softly, “we can stay here as long as you want. We can stay here the whole trip if it makes you happy, I don’t care.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” Rami says with an amused smile, “I just want to finish reading the translations.”

“Oh, yeah,” Joe says, “that’s cool too.” He starts walking around the small area around the obelisk, stopping a couple times to take some photos, of Rami again, but of Ben and Gwil together as well. He takes a couple selfies, and Ben smiles when he notices, while also rolling his eyes.

“C’me here,” Ben says, walking over to Joe. “You want a photo of you and Rami?” he asks, taking Joe’s phone from him.

“Yeah, thanks,” Joe says, walking over to Rami, slinging his arm around his shoulders, getting him to turn towards Ben.

“Oh, I don’t,” Rami mutters, but he turns towards Joe anyway, reaching up to put his hand on Joe’s chest, and smiles. Joe grins, and Ben takes the photo.

“Beautiful,” Ben says, handing the phone back to Joe. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

“He always is,” Rami says, smiling at Joe.

“Hey!” Joe exclaims. “It’s my job to compliment you!”

Rami laughs and takes Joe’s hand, looking around. “Where to next?” he asks.

“Next is Gwil’s surprise,” Joe says, “and all the cool shit along the way.”

“I’m not closing my eyes,” Gwil says, and Ben laughs.

Joe starts leading them north on the path, pointing out things along the way. They walk past the reservoir, and Joe explains to Gwil and Rami who JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy were. He takes them the long way, around North Meadow, so that he can catch glimpses of the baseball and softball fields. Eventually, after almost half an hour of walking, Joe smiles over at Gwil. “Get ready to thank me,” he says, and Gwil looks at Ben, who’s smiling at him. They walk down the path into the garden, and they can all see that Gwil’s interest is immediately piqued. He looks over at Ben, and then hurries carefully over to a display of tulips, with Rami following behind him.

“Like a kid in a candy store,” Joe murmurs, “so predictable,” and Ben smiles at him. 

“Thank you,” he says, “for knowing what to show them here.”

Joe nods. “No problem,” he says. “Happy to do it. After everything, they probably deserve to see some cool shit, wouldn’t you say? And this is only the first day!”

Ben laughs softly. “You’re just trying to tire them out,” he says, “so they’ll sleep well tonight.”

“Yes, that’s it,” Joe says, watching Gwil lean down to gently cup a flower, smelling it, “I’m treating them like they’re my nephews.”

“I don’t know what this is,” Gwil says to Rami, “but it’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Joe and Ben look up, then walk over, where Rami and Gwil are examining a dark-coloured flower. Ben crouches down next to Gwil, smiling. “We’ve found something you don’t know about?” he asks. "I don't believe that."

“It’s a tulip, but I don’t know what kind,” Gwil says.

Joe takes out his phone, and starts Googling. After a few moments, he looks up. “It’s called Queen of Night,” he says, “didn’t come around until the ‘40s. Guess you just missed it, big guy.”

“It’s lovely,” Gwil says. “I…wow.”

Ben smiles, and turns, leaning against Gwil. “You want me to steal one for you?” he asks.

“Ha, no,” Gwil says. “But I’d love to try growing some at home.”

Ben watches him for a moment, still smiling as Gwil examines the colour of the petals. “Okay,” he says softly, “I’d like that.”

“I like these ones,” Rami says, looking at the grape hyacinths, gently running his fingers over them.

“This is the English garden,” Joe says, looking around. “There’s also a French one, and an Italian one.”

Gwil looks over at him, and straightens up. “Well then,” he says, smiling, “what are we waiting for?”

Joe grins back at him, and then claps his hands. “Let’s go!”

\+ + + + +

Joe continues to lead them around the park, or at least the northern half. He shows them the Gothic Bridge, and then leads them back down around the reservoir, to Belvedere Castle and the Shakespeare Garden. They’re all starving, but none of them are in the mood to go sit in a restaurant, so they stop by one of the small cafes in the park. Gwil and Joe get the biggest hot dog they can, one that comes with crushed potato chips on it. Rami gets a roasted vegetable sandwich, and Ben a grilled chicken wrap. They take their food and their drinks and find a place to sit on the grass.

“Did you spend much time here, when you were younger?” Gwil asks, taking a sip of his beer.

Joe shrugs, chewing on the hotdog. “A bit? I mean, it’s like a two hour drive, so not all the time, but my parents were really obsessed with Broadway, so we came down for that. Or like, on our birthdays.” Gwil nods slowly, taking another drink. “What about you?” Joe asks. “Did you travel a lot, as a kid? What was it like then?”

Gwil smiles, and shakes his head. “Not really, no,” he says. “If we went anywhere, it was Cardiff, and that wasn’t very often. Brum was all we needed.”

Ben takes a drink of his Coke Zero, and then stifles a yawn. Gwil smiles over at him, and reaches out, trailing his fingers down Ben’s arm.

“Tired?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods, rubbing at his eyes.

Rami looks around the park, shading his eyes with his hand. “It’s so nice here,” he says softly.

“Yeah?” Joe asks. Rami nods. “Good. As a very famous singer once said, welcome to New York, it’s been waiting for you.”

“Oh really?" Rami says. "That’s lovely." Joe smiles, winking at Ben.

Ben just smiles and shakes his head a bit, trying not to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • this is just a start! they're settling in, stretching their legs, they're gonna have a good time.  
• there will be baseball games and romantic dates and family dinners.  
• there will also be answers to questions like, wtf are Joe and Ben talking about and why is Gwil so nervous?  
• it's all going to come together and I hope you like it! this is one I've been wanting to do for awhile.  
• and here's the NYC [moodboard](https://laminy.tumblr.com/post/188289169770/this-weekend-chapter-one-of-a-long-awaited-at) I made for this, ha.


	2. Chapter 2

Joe promises that he’ll show them the southern half of the park another day, and the four of them tiredly walk back to the hotel. They all know they should try to stay up a little later, so that they don’t wake up at four in the morning, but none of them can be bothered. Rami can barely keep his eyes open, and keeps snuggling against Joe as they walk.

“Text you in the morning,” Joe says, patting Ben on the arm a couple times outside their hotel rooms, which they discovered are beside each other.

“Goodnight,” Ben says, smiling at them as Gwil unlocks the door. 

“Bye, Rami,” Gwil says, and Rami just mumbles tiredly, rubbing at his face before waving at him.

Ben and Gwil walk into their hotel room, locking the door behind them. They kick off their shoes and Ben stretches his arms out above his head, walking over to the window to look out.

“I’m going to have a shower, love, if that’s alright,” Gwil says, and Ben nods, face practically pressed to the glass. Gwil chuckles and heads into the bathroom, leaving Ben to flop down on the bed. 

Ben thinks maybe he’d fallen asleep, because the next time he opens his eyes, Gwil is walking around the room with a towel wrapped around his waist and Ben feels like no time passed at all.

“Are you going to shower, love?” Gwil asks, glancing over at him.

“Maybe in the morning,” Ben says, stretching out on the mattress.

“Are you going to bed then?” Gwil asks, and Ben shrugs.

“I’m tired, aren’t you?” he asks.

“I suppose,” Gwil says, glancing out the window.

Ben rests there for a few minutes more, watching Gwil dry himself off and tug on a pair of boxer-briefs. He smiles faintly then stretches out again, groaning softly. “Are you staying up for a bit?” he asks.

Gwil glances over at him, rubbing the towel over his head. “If you’re going to sleep, I might get in bed with you and read, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, of course,” Ben says. He stays there for a few moments longer, then finally pushes himself up. He takes off his shorts, leaving them on the floor, then walks into the bathroom. He looks at himself in the mirror, the dark bags noticeable. He groans and rubs at his eyes then turns on the tap and splashes some cold water on his face. He quickly washes, then flosses, and starts to brush his teeth.

Gwil walks into the bathroom, carrying his towel in his hands. He hangs it up on the towel rack, then winks at Ben in the mirror.

Ben leans down to spit out some of the toothpaste foam before sticking the brush back in his mouth. “Do you need me to move?” he asks around the toothbrush, most of it coming out garbled.

Gwil laughs. “Sorry, what was that?” he asks, smiling at him.

Ben spits again, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “Sorry, I said, do you need me to move?” he asks.

“I know, I was teasing,” Gwil says. “No, I’m alright here,” he says, coming up to stand behind Ben, resting his hands on his waist. 

Ben makes eye contact with Gwil in the mirror and frowns a bit, but then just shrugs and goes back to brushing his teeth.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Gwil asks softly, tilting his head down a bit so that his mouth is close to Ben’s ear.

Ben shrugs, then nods. “Should be good,” he says, again, most of it unclear. “You?” he asks, looking at Gwil in the mirror again.

Gwil nods, then tightens his grip on Ben’s waist again before pressing his lips to the side of his neck, sucking gently there for just a moment.

Ben swallows hard and his eyelids flutter. “Uh,” he takes the toothbrush out again, then spits in the sink. “Gwil?” he asks.

“Yes?” Gwil murmurs, moving his mouth over Ben’s neck.

“What are you doing?” Ben asks, voice already just a bit rough.

Gwil smiles against his skin and then pulls back, meeting his eyes in the reflection. “Can’t you tell?” he asks.

“Uh,” Ben says, reaching out to rinse off his toothbrush, and then Gwil presses a bit harder against him and Ben loses his grip, toothbrush clattering into the sink.

“Sorry,” Gwil says with a chuckle.

“I’m not sure you are,” Ben replies, picking up the toothbrush, rinsing it off. He sets it on the counter and then moves to turn but Gwil’s hands on his waist stop him.

“Let’s get this off, love,” Gwil murmurs, hands moving down to the hem of Ben’s t-shirt, starting to tug it up.

“Wasn’t it just the one beer with supper?” Ben asks. “Or did you get pissed and I just didn’t notice?” He shifts and lifts his arms though, letting Gwil pull his shirt off him, swallowing hard and avoiding his reflection as Gwil drops it to the floor.

Gwil’s hands are back on his waist and then Ben’s spun around, back pressed up against the counter, Gwil looking down at him. Ben reaches back, bracing his hands against the counter’s edge, and then Gwil’s mouth is on his, hot and wet and insistent. Ben groans loudly and one of his hands shoots up to clutch at the back of Gwil’s neck, pulling him in. 

“It’s been such a long day, love,” Gwil says against his mouth, kissing him again, "and you seemed so stressed. Let me take care of you.”

Ben smiles, opening his mouth to Gwil’s. He gasps softly as Gwil presses against him, then pulls back. “What did you have in mind?” he asks softly, reaching up to cup Gwil’s cheek, swiping his thumb over his lower lip, and then he leans up.

Gwil gives him another kiss, and then another, and then he starts moving his mouth downward, over Ben’s neck, then his collarbone, then his chest.

Ben’s eyes flutter shut when Gwil’s mouth reaches his stomach, and he immediately reaches out to brace himself against him, fingers curling into Gwil’s hair just a bit. Ben swallows hard and opens his eyes, looking down at Gwil, who’s on his knees in front of him, hands braced on his thighs. Gwil smiles up at him, then presses another kiss to Ben’s stomach. “Uh,” Ben says, “yeah, alright then.” He nods jerkily. “If you’d like.”

“I very much would, yes,” Gwil says, and he curls his fingertips under the waistband of Ben’s boxer-briefs, starting to tug them down.

Ben can’t even begin to help himself when Gwil takes him into his mouth, and he groans loudly, fingers tightening in Gwil’s hair.

\+ + + + +

“Finally!” Joe says, pushing himself up off the wall, walking over to Ben and Gwil. “Good morning, I’m starving.”

Ben snorts. “Good morning,” he says. “How can you blame us for being late when Rami’s not even here yet?”

“He’s talking to Nelly,” Joe says, “asking about Augie. He’ll be down in a minute.”

The three of them walk into the breakfast area, and Gwil looks around. “I’m going to grab that booth,” he says, gesturing towards the far corner, "save us a seat.”

“Do you want me to get your breakfast?” Ben asks.

“No, that’s alright, love,” Gwil says, reaching out to brush his hand over Ben’s arm as he starts to walk away. “I’ll get mine when you two sit.”

“Okay,” Ben says, watching Gwil walk away for a moment before turning back, looking at Joe. “What?” he asks.

Joe just smiles and shrugs. “Nothing,” he says. “Sleep well? Jet-lagged?”

Ben shrugs then shakes his head. “No, I’m alright, I think. A bit tired yeah, but aren’t I usually this early in the morning?” he asks.

Joe laughs a bit as he and Ben walk over to the counter, looking at the breakfast options. “Fair enough,” he says. “Well, good. Good to know.”

Ben glances over at him again, then grabs a plate. “What are you talking about?” he asks.

“_Nothing_,” Joe says again. “Just making conversation, checking in on my Benny. And how’s Gwil? He sleep well?”

Ben narrows his eyes a bit at Joe, not entirely sure what he’s playing at. “Yes, I think so,” he says carefully. “What about you and Rami?” he asks.

“Oh, pretty good,” Joe says, nodding. He smiles at Ben again, then grabs a bunch of bacon from the warmer. “Yeah. Great rooms, huh? Really comfy.”

Ben looks at Joe, and then just shakes his head a bit. “Uh, I suppose, yeah? I— I guess.”

“Is the shower tall enough for Gwil’s giant body?” Joe asks.

“He’s fine, yeah,” Ben says. “I…don’t really know what we’re talking about? Is— did something happen, or…”

“Oh, no,” Joe says, smiling at him. “Just wondering if you had any problems with your room.”

Ben shakes his head. “No,” he says, “not at all. Why, did you two?” he asks.

Joe’s smile gets even bigger, and he just looks at Ben. “Uhhhh…maybe,” he says.

“Well?” Ben asks. “What was it?” Joe just keeps looking at Ben until Ben wants to somehow push that smile off of Joe’s face. “_What_, Joe, just spit it out.”

“Just that, I don’t know,” Joe says, “some of the walls may be…thinner than others. You know? Maybe…in the bathroom?”

Ben makes a confused face and then shakes his head a bit. “I don’t—” And then he sees Joe look over, and when he follows his eyes, he sees Gwil sitting at the table, who's looking around the room. Then his stomach twists and he looks back at Joe, who’s smiling at him again. “Oh, I, uh.” His mouth goes dry and he looks down, swallowing hard.

“I’m just saying,” Joe says, clapping Ben on the shoulder a couple times, "you’re kind of loud. And your voice goes surprisingly high.”

“Joe, I—” Ben blows out a breath and shakes his head. “I’m— I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking, god, if I thought you could _hear_ us, I never would have—”

“Dude, I’m just joking,” Joe says. “I mean, not— yes, we could hear you, while we were brushing our teeth, as a matter of fact, but no, we’re not offended. I mean, it sounded like you were having a _great_ time.”

Ben looks down and he can feel his cheeks burning up. He feels anxious and a bit shaky all of a sudden, which he knows wasn’t Joe’s intention, he was just joking, because yes of course it should be a funny thing, Joe and Rami overheard them having sex, ha ha, so he doesn’t know why— it’s not as if Joe thinks they’re not sleeping together, he’s probably been keeping a bloody calendar of all the times he thinks they’ve shagged, but _hearing_ them, that’s entirely different. And it’s not as if it was on purpose, he can’t blame Joe or Rami for it, the only person he should be blaming is himself, he _knows_ he’s too loud, he knows it, Paul told him all the time and—

“Okay, shit,” Joe says quickly, dropping his plate on the counter, taking Ben by the shoulders, trying to get him to look at him. “Okay, Ben, Ben? It was a joke. Okay? Ben, I’m joking, I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d— I shouldn’t have said anything okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Ben nods jerkily and makes a quiet noise but he doesn’t look up at him and Joe’s hands squeeze him a little tighter. “It’s fine,” he says softly. “I’m sorry. I’m…just embarrassed, is all.”

“Oh, no, Ben, I— I was just joking,” Joe says. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed. I…I didn’t…” He smiles. “Besides, all that matters is, does Gwil like it?” he asks.

“_Joe_,” Ben says, rolling his eyes, blushing.

“What?” Joe asks, giving Ben a teasing smile. “I— it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he says. “We can talk about it, right? I— I mean, if you don’t want to, that’s— that’s one thing,” he says. “But you shouldn’t be _embarrassed_. It’s just sex.”

Ben looks at Joe, thinking for a moment, biting on his lip, then he nods. “Ye— yeah, he does,” he says.

“Attaboy,” Joe says, clapping Ben on the shoulder a couple times. “I mean, Rami and I had sex in the shower yesterday.”

Ben scoffs and rolls his eyes again. “Yes, Joe, I know,” he says. 

Joe grins, winking at him. “See?” he asks. “No big deal. It’s— whatever…_you know who_—”

“Oh my god, Joe,” Ben mutters, “this isn’t Harry Potter.”

“Whatever _he_ said,” Joe continues, “you know he’s wrong, right? I— I shouldn’t have teased, I’m sorry, I really am, but…he said it to hurt you, you know. I was just—”

“I know,” Ben says, glancing over at Gwil, who’s watching them, a bit of a concerned look on his face. “I’m sorry, I…overreacted.”

“It’s okay,” Joe says. He smiles at Ben, and then his face brightens even more when he looks over his shoulder.

Ben turns and sees Rami walking into the room, and then smiles as well. 

“Hi,” Rami says, walking over to them, “good morning.”

“Hi, babe,” Joe says, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. “You wanna grab your breakfast?” he asks.

“I’ll sit with Gwil,” Rami says. “How’re you, Ben?”

Ben nods. “I’m alright, yeah,” he says. He glances at Gwil, and then shyly looks down.

“Did you want me to get you something?” Joe asks Rami.

“No, I’ll get it when you’re done,” Rami says. He smiles. “I’m looking forward to today,” he says, then reaches out to squeeze Joe’s hand, and then walks across the room to the booth where Gwil is sitting.

“Are you okay?” Joe asks. "I really am sorry."

Ben nods. “We should just get our food,” he says, “Gwil’s probably starving.”

Joe smiles. “Starving for that d—”

“Joe, could you not?” Ben asks. “Please.”

“Okay, fine, you're right,” Joe says. He starts filling up his plate, and then looks over at Ben. “I’ll send the boys over,” he says, then starts walking over to their booth.

Ben sighs, and slowly starts getting his food. He jumps a bit when he feels a hand on his shoulder, and then looks up, relaxing.

“Are you alright, love?” Gwil asks, leaning down to brush his lips across Ben’s temple. 

“Yes, sorry,” Ben says, “Joe and I got to talking, and— I’m sorry we took so long.”

“No worries,” Gwil says. “You’re always a bit tired in the morning,” he says. “Slow to start.”

“Oh, stop it,” Ben says, turning away from him, a smile on his face. Gwil smiles and kisses Ben’s temple again. “I’m going to go sit,” he says, “do try to behave.”

Gwil grins and turns to Rami, who’s examining the breakfast choices. “Sleep well?” he asks.

“Yes,” Rami says, nodding, “I think I fell asleep as soon I closed my eyes.”

“Lovely,” Gwil murmurs, grabbing a cinnamon bun.

Rami looks over at Gwil. “It sounded like you had a good night,” he says.

Gwil coughs a bit. “Beg pardon?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Rami says, giving Gwil a cheeky grin. “Just…good for you, is all. For you both."

Gwil’s eyes widen a bit, and he glances over to the booth, where Ben and Joe have started to eat. “Oh, well…thank you, I suppose.” 

Rami smiles, and then grabs a bagel.

\+ + + + +

Ben snuggles into Gwil’s side, taking a sip of his orange juice.

“I’m too full, if you’d like this,” Gwil says, pushing his plate towards him a bit.

“Thank you,” Ben murmurs, reaching out to pick up the cinnamon bun, grabbing a napkin with his other hand.

Rami turns his phone to Joe, showing him the screen. “Who’s this?” he asks.

“Hmm?” Joe asks, turning towards him. “Oh, The Beatles,” he says. “They were a band.”

“There’s a monument to them in the park,” Rami says. “Are they quite famous?”

“Yeah, they’re alright,” Ben says.

Joe scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Understatement. They’re amazing. There are a couple movies about them we could watch, actually. If you want.”

“Yes, of course,” Rami says. “When have I ever turned down one of your films?” he asks, smiling, playfully bumping his shoulder against Joe’s.

“And yet you never want to _make_ one with me,” Joe says, winking at him, and Rami pulls away from him, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, stop,” Rami murmurs. “Nobody wants to see that.”

“_I_ want to see that,” Joe says. “That’s the point.”

Ben snorts softly, chewing on the cinnamon bun, settling back against the seat, feeling Gwil’s fingers gently playing with his hair at the top of his neck. “Can I have this too?” he asks quietly, picking up a fork, gesturing towards the hash brown on the plate.

“Yes, of course,” Gwil says, quickly glancing at him.

“What are you most excited for, Ben?” Rami asks, leaning towards him a bit.

“Uh,” Ben swallows. “Don’t know really. The…musical, I suppose. Or seeing Joe's family.”

Rami smiles. “That will be lovely.”

Ben smiles back at him, then glances up at Gwil. “What about you?” he asks.

“Well, I feel like if I don’t say the baseball game, Joe’s going to be very angry with me,” Gwil says.

Joe grins at him. “Good answer.”

“My _real_ answer, though,” Gwil says, and then starts to laugh at the look on Joe’s face. “No, I mean, the game will be amazing, I think.”

“The _games_,” Joe says. “Two. Don’t forget.”

“How could I ever?” Gwil asks.

“We’re like real adults,” Joe says. “Look at us, on our trip to the big city!”

“We live in London,” Rami says, “I think that’s quite big too.”

“Yes, but to a guy who grew up in a town of like 20,000, let me have this,” Joe says.

“Sherborne’s even smaller than that,” Ben says, looking up at him. “Hyde Park would be the big city to me.”

Joe grins. “Oh yes, Ben, you’re our little country bumpkin. Do they have running water there? Electricity? Can more than one person use the Internet at once?”

“No, we have to take turns,” Ben says, and Joe laughs softly.

“I’d still like you to take us to Dorset, love,” Gwil says softly, and Ben takes another drink, looking away.

“I don’t think so,” Ben says softly.

Gwil leans down and presses a kiss to Ben’s shoulder, and Ben smiles faintly. “Maybe someday,” Gwil whispers.

“We can take a cab to the museum,” Joe says, “or we can walk, but it’d be a bit. Or we can take the subway and the bus. Majority rules, I’m good with whatever.”

“I don’t want to walk that far right now,” Rami says, “but…is the tube and all that safe here?”

“We’ve got a native New Yorker,” Gwil says, “I’m sure we’ll be fine. I shouldn’t think we need a taxi.” 

“Joe will lead the way,” Ben says. “We’re safe with him.”

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” Joe says, “but I’m willing to take it. Your lives in my hands.”

“Oh god,” Ben mutters, “never mind.”

Gwil laughs. “I trust you, Joe,” he says. “Also, Rami, do you really think the bus in New York is less safe than the Mercury?”

“I don’t know,” Rami says, “Joe’s told me things.”

“What things?” Ben asks. “All lies, I’m sure.”

“Hey!” Joe says. “I don’t lie.” Ben rolls his eyes. “Maybe I just _embellish_ a bit, so that Rami will be scared and want to cuddle with me.”

“Oh, you just have to ask for that,” Rami says, turning to snuggle against him, “I never mind.”

Ben smiles and rolls his eyes, but he stays close to Gwil as well.

“I won’t mind the bus then,” Rami says, “if you’re sure.”

“Ben here will fight off anybody who even looks at you wrong,” Joe says.

“What?” Ben asks. “Why me?”

“You’re the one with the muscles,” Joe says.

“But Gwil’s taller,” Ben says.

“_I_ was the soldier,” Rami says, and Gwil laughs.

“Very true, that,” he says. “Rami can take care of himself and all of us, I’m sure.”

Ben takes another couple bites of hashbrown, then rubs his stomach. “I think if I eat any more I’ll burst,” he murmurs. “Are we about ready to go?” he asks.

“I am,” Gwil nods, “though once we’re out I think I’d like to find a coffee.”

“Ooh, yes please,” Joe says. He raps his knuckles a couple times on the table and then stands up, holding his hand out to Rami.

“You good?” Ben asks Gwil, sliding out of the booth.

“Let’s go,” Gwil says, his hand on Ben’s lower back. Ben blushes a bit and glances back, smiling. Gwil winks and leans in towards him. “My apologies about last night,” he says softly as they walk towards the elevator to head back upstairs and grab their wallets. “It seems we had an audience.”

Ben looks down, nodding. “I— I’m sorry,” he says softly, and Gwil shakes his head.

“Don’t be, love,” he says softly, “you know I don’t mind it.”

Ben can’t help but roll his eyes. “I think that’s a bit of an understatement,” he says.

Gwil laughs softly. “Well, I was trying to be polite.” The four of them wait in front of the elevator, and Gwil wraps his arm around Ben’s waist, then leans in to kiss his temple. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he whispers.

Ben nods, but he doesn’t say anything else, just looks down as the elevator doors open.

\+ + + + +

The four of them get off the bus, and walk towards the entrance for the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

“Bloody hell, would you look at that,” Gwil says, looking at the ship. “Wow.”

Joe leads the way, showing their tickets at the admission counter. “Where do we start?” he asks.

“I'd like to hear more about the Cold War,” Rami says. “They have a submarine.”

“Sold,” Joe says, and he smiles at him. “Boys?” he asks, turning to Ben and Gwil.

Ben shrugs. “I’m happy to just walk around. I…I’d just like to see what they have.”

“Split up, meet up later?” Joe asks.

Ben nods. “Fine by me,” he says. “Gwil?”

Gwil looks over a brochure, then nods. “Uh, yes, splitting up is fine,” he says. “How long do we have?” he asks.

“Like, three hours, if we want,” Joe says. “Plenty of time.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. He smiles at Ben. “I uh, I’m just going to look around,” he says. 

“Okay,” Ben says, “I’ll catch up with you later.”

Gwil nods and leans down, giving Ben a quick kiss.

Rami and Joe head off towards the USS Growler, and Gwil heads off down another hallway, leaving Ben alone. He sighs, then starts wandering around, finding his way to an exhibit on naval safety posters.

\+ + + + +

Joe holds his hand out to Rami, helping him onto the submarine. “What do you think?” Joe asks. “Think we could move in?”

Rami smiles, looking around. “I’m not sure it’s big enough for the three of us,” he says, “and all our entertaining.”

“We could sail it home,” Joe says, “instead of flying.”

Rami smiles even bigger. “Well, I do admit that I like the sounds of that.”

“Or we can just drug you on the way home,” Joe says, “sleep the whole time.”

Rami laughs. “I don’t mind it _that_ much,” he says. He looks around, the two of them staying towards the back of the tour group, preferring to look around for themselves.

“Let’s buy it anyways,” Joe says, and Rami scoffs, smiling.

“Where would we keep it?” he asks.

“Just float it up the Thames,” Joe says.

“Eugh,” Rami groans, “no, thank you.”

“We could live right under the Eye,” Joe says, and Rami looks over.

“Joe, as much as I like the sounds of that, you know we’re not buying a submarine, right?” he says. “I don’t have _that_ much money.”

Joe laughs. “I know, I’m just imagining. All the cool things we’re going to do together.”

Rami smiles, and leans in, giving him a kiss. “I think this trip is rather cool,” he says, and Joe still smiles when he hears modern slang coming from Rami’s mouth. “Can you believe it? We’re all here? Really?”

“I love it,” Joe says, nodding. “My three best guys. Well, minus Augie.”

“It’s so exciting,” Rami agrees. He reads a small plaque on the wall, biting his lip as he thinks. He sighs, then glances over at Joe.

“What’s up?” Joe asks.

“Nothing,” Rami says, “just that I think I ought to be studying history. Don’t you? There’s still so much I don’t know. Like that band from this morning. Or any of this.”

“Can you take both?” Joe asks.

“I don’t know where I’d find the time,” Rami says. “There are ten core modules I have to take…and I still don’t know what my research project will be on.”

“Is that why we’re here?” Joe asks. “Research?”

Rami shrugs. “No, we’re here because it’s interesting. It is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Joe says. “We came here when I was a kid.”

Rami smiles over at him. “I can imagine you, a terror, running around here. Teasing John, I imagine.”

“Oh, I was the best kid,” Joe says. “You would’ve loved me.” Rami smiles and rolls his eyes. “Besides, do your research project on the Mercury, obviously. Or Luyten.”

“Doesn’t that seem like cheating?” Rami asks. “It’s not really fair to any of the other students.”

"Oh yes,” Joe says sarcastically, “it’s so unfair that you were one of the first people in space. Sucks for them, doesn't it!”

“I want them to like me, Joe,” Rami says. “Gwil said when he was in Cologne that— that it was awkward. People treated him differently. I don’t want people to treat me differently.”

Joe sighs, frowning a bit. “Well, I mean, and I hate to say it but…they will.”

“I know that,” Rami say, “that’s why I don’t want to make them hate me any more than they already will.”

“_Hate_ you?” Joe asks, wrapping his arms around Rami, pulling him in. “Babe, not a single person could ever hate you. They’re all just jealous.”

“You have to say that,” Rami says, “you love me.”

Joe winks. “Damn right I do. Now, come on, you’re not going to learn any history standing around here, are you? We’ve got a whole museum to explore, don’t we?”

Rami nods. “Okay,” he says. “Maybe we should pay a bit more attention to the tour, then.”

“You’re the one distracting me,” Joe whines playfully, kissing Rami’s neck. “If you want me to pay attention to a tour you’d have to put a bag over your head or something.”

“Oh, stop,” Rami says, pulling himself out of Joe’s arms. “Come on, I’d like to hear more.” He kisses Joe on the cheek and smiles, walking closer to the group.

\+ + + + +

Ben sighs, walking into another large, dark room, with something on display that he has no idea about. He is interested in history, of course, but even working for the IIS never made him that particularly interested in this sort of thing. Not like the others. He didn’t complain, though, when they suggested coming here. He was sure he’d get to see things he wanted to see as well. He walks around, trying to figure out what the large white metal object is in the middle of the room. He crosses his arms, walking over to the information panel, running his fingers over it. He frowns, then looks up. A Mercury shuttle. He can feel his stomach start to sour.

There’s a museum employee at a small desk nearby. Ben walks by them and looks at the photos on the wall. He rolls his eyes almost immediately when he sees that bloody photo of the crew from 1939. He realizes that the entire room is an exhibit on the Mercury. He wonders if Rami and Gwil know about it. He sort of hopes— no, he _really_ hopes they don’t. He sighs.

Ben stands there, reading the caption on a photo, ignoring the voices of the other people in the room with him. Until his ears pick up on a familiar accent, saying ‘thank you’ to someone. He turns, and sees Gwil, talking to the employee at the small desk. He bites his lip, and waits for Gwil to notice him, which he does, with a surprised look on his face. 

“Hello, love,” Gwil says, walking over. “I was wondering when we’d bump into each other again. Are you enjoying the museum?”

Ben shrugs. “It’s alright,” he says. “Did you…know about this?” he asks, looking around.

“Not beforehand, no,” Gwil says, “but I saw it in the brochure.”

“It’s a bit odd, isn't it?” Ben asks. “It’s…”

“Well, it is a space museum, love,” Gwil says.

“Yeah, and you’re part of the display,” Ben says, gesturing towards the photos.

“It’s okay,” Gwil says, “I don't mind. I really don’t. I— when I saw it in the brochure, I thought it was odd, but being— it’s not that bad, surprisingly.”

Ben sighs. “What were you talking to them about?” he asks, looking past Gwil to the museum employee.

“You're allowed in the shuttle,” Gwil says. “I…was just asking about it.”

“Is it an actual shuttle?” Ben asks. “Like…I certainly don’t remember anyone at the IIS saying they were shipping parts off to the US.”

“It’s a replica,” Gwil says, “they’ve had it for years, actually. Based on the designs from the ‘30s. I— she told me they’ve always had exhibits on the Mercury, off and on. But they made it permanent not that long ago.” He frowns, looking at Ben. “Are you alright?” he asks.

“I’m fine,” Ben says, “I just…I don’t like the idea that— you’re not— you don’t belong in a museum, Gwil, you’re a person, you’re people! That’s why I couldn’t work for the IIS anymore, they stopped caring about that, about _you_. This isn’t—”

“It’s no different from any other exhibit they have here, love,” Gwil says, reaching out to take Ben’s hand. “The…war, or whatever Rami’s looking at. Those were real people too. They’ve got an exhibit on female astronauts, that’s—”

“It’s different,” Ben says.

Gwil smiles. “It’s different because you know me,” he says, “that’s all.”

Ben sighs, looking around. “It’s…you’re handling this better than I thought.”

Gwil leans in, giving Ben a quick kiss. “You’re sweet to worry, but I’m alright, I promise.”

Ben nods. “Why— when you looked at the brochure, you could’ve said, I would’ve come with you.”

“I know,” Gwil says, “but you know me, never sure how I’ll react to these sorts of things. With my luck, end up crying in public, embarrassing my boyfriend.”

Ben smiles faintly, but he knows that it’s true. Not that long ago, seeing something like this could have set Gwil off, in either anger or sadness. “Should we tell Rami it’s here?” he asks.

“If you'd like,” Gwil says, "but I assume he’ll find it.” He squeezes Ben’s hand again and starts to look at the photos on the wall, smiling at some of them, reading the captions.

“Does it ever sort…” Ben trails off, and Gwil looks down at him. “It’s silly, never mind,” he says, shaking his head.

“You sure?” Gwil asks. Ben nods. “Alright, if you’re sure. Are you enjoying it at all?” he asks. “I know you’re not much for all this sort of thing. Science and engineering, I mean.”

“It’s okay,” Ben says. Gwil raises his eyes. “Okay, it’s a bit boring,” he admits, and Gwil laughs, “but that’s fine. It can’t all be all about me.”

“I wouldn’t mind if it were,” Gwil says, “but fair enough. I’ll make sure you have fun on this trip too, love, alright?”

Ben smiles and nods. “I know you will,” he says, squeezing his hand. “Thank you.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. “Now come on, let me show around, you can have a personal guided tour.”

“That sounds lovely,” Ben says, following Gwil over to a display case. He rests against him, and lets Gwil tell him about the memos and trinkets inside.

\+ + + + +

Ben and Joe walk ahead of Rami and Gwil, who are chatting to themselves about the Mercury exhibit; Joe and Rami had found the exhibit at some point in the morning as well, though Joe’s feelings on it weren’t as conflicted as Ben’s.

“There should be a Mercury museum in London,” Rami says. “Or Perth. Don't you think?”

Gwil shrugs. “That’d be up to the IIS, I suppose,” he says.

“Well, why is it all the way in New York?” Rami asks. “America didn’t even know we were going to Luyten!”

Gwil chuckles. “I, uh, yes, you’re right about that. I don’t know,” he says, “there must be some sort of politics behind it that we don’t know.”

“Ben?” Rami asks, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder.

Ben glances back. “Uh, the IIS is international,” he says. “I think it’s just…it was probably just an IIS exhibit that got turned into a Mercury one at some point. You lot are the most interesting thing they ever did.”

“Hey!” Joe exclaims. “What about all my rover work?”

Ben smiles. “I’m— sure, Joe, yes. Make an exhibit about your rovers.”

“Well, _someone_ might care,” Joe says, but none of the others say anything, so he groans. “Fine. Also, I want this on the record, this is dumb.”

“It’s not dumb,” Ben says. “Loads of tourists want to see Times Square.”

“That’s _why_ it’s dumb,” Joe says. “I could be showing you like…dark alleys and behind the scenes shit, and you guys want to see this.”

“I don’t want to see dark alleys,” Gwil says, “there were enough of those back home on the Ripper tour. We don’t have to stay long, I just want to see it to see it.”

“And I told Nelly I’d take a picture for her,” Rami says.

“What are we in the mood to eat?” Ben asks. “I'm starving.”

“Where does it all go?” Joe asks, looking at Ben. “How are you _always_ hungry?”

Ben shrugs, and Gwil walks up behind him, wrapping his arms around Ben’s waist. “It’s all goes straight to his thick thighs,” he says, and Ben laughs loudly, trying to pull away from him.

“Leave me and my thighs out of this,” Ben groans, “I’m just hungry! Is that a crime?”

“I could eat,” Rami says. “After we look around. I know it’s just…big signs and stores, but it’s cool, right?”

“Just try not to get robbed,” Joe says. “Don’t make eye contact with anybody.”

Ben starts laughing. “I don't think it’s _that_ bad, Joe,” he says.

They turn off W 46th St down onto 7th Ave, and Joe throws his hands up. “Here! Have fun.”

Rami and Gwil quickly walk past Joe and Ben, hurrying down the sidewalk together.

Ben laughs again, looking at Joe. “See? They’re chuffed.”

“What about you?” Joe asks.

Ben smiles and shrugs. “I’m brilliant, what do you mean?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Joe says, “just checking in on my bestie, making sure he’s good.”

Ben nods. “Yeah, I’m good,” he says. “How are you?”

Joe looks ahead at Rami, who’s taking a photo of Gwil on his phone. “Yeah, this is pretty great,” he says, smiling.

“You’re such a softie,” Ben says, playfully pushing at him. “You _love_ him.”

“Shut up,” Joe says. “Yeah, I do.” They watch Gwil take Rami’s phone from him and take a photo of him, and Joe grins. “I just want him to be happy,” he says.

“I know,” Ben says. “He is, are you joking? Look at him!”

Joe nods. “So boys,” he says, walking towards them, “what do we think?”

Gwil and Rami look around, and then Rami shrugs. “I’m done.”

“Yeah, I think so,” Gwil says. “Saw it, can say we were here.”

“Okay, cool,” Joe says. “Ben?”

Ben shrugs. “No, I’m good. Can we eat now?”

\+ + + + +

The four of them crowd into the lift with other guests, Rami huddling close to Joe. The lift is packed, but it only goes up two floors, so they’re out quickly. He takes Joe’s hand and they follow the rest of the crowd to the security check.

“Are you smuggling any World War II spy shit in here?” Joe asks softly. “Because I’ll have to tell them if you are. It’s my duty as an American.” Rami laughs.

“Yes, absolutely,” Rami says, looking over at Joe. “Which side do you think I’m spying for?” he asks. “_You're_ the Italian.”

“Ouch,” Joe says, clutching playfully at his chest.

They quickly pass through security, the line shorter than Rami expected. They walk through a small museum area, with photos and quotes about the construction of the building on the walls. At the end of it there’s yet another line for them to wait in. Rami yawns and rests against Joe, briefly closing his eyes.

“Do you need a nap?” Joe asks, wrapping his arms around him.

“Maybe a little one,” Rami says softly. “Do we have time?” he asks.

“_Now_?” Joe asks. “No.”

Rami smiles, snuggling against Joe, burying his face in his neck. “No, before the game,” he says.

“Yeah, of course we do,” Joe says. “A couple hours probably, depending on how long we spend at the top here.”

“Okay,” Rami murmurs.

“You’re so cute when you’re sleepy,” Joe says softly, reaching up to start gently playing with Rami’s hair.

Rami nods. “I’m cute all the time,” he says.

Joe laughs loudly, getting looks from Ben and Gwil and a couple other people in line with them. “Oh god, you’ve become self-aware,” he says. “How am I suppose to keep you away from the other boys now that you know exactly how hot you are?” Rami doesn't say anything, and Joe runs his finger down Rami's nose. “Are you asleep?” he whispers.

“No,” Rami groans, “we’re standing up waiting for the lift, how could I fall asleep? Just resting my eyes.”

They wait there a few minutes, or maybe longer, until a guide starts to lead them to the high-rise lifts, the ones that will take them to the 67th floor. The four of them along and pack in, again. Rami plans on leaning against Joe with his eyes closed, but then neon lights and images start being projected on the walls, and they all stand there, watching, until—

“Welcome to Top of the Rock,” the computerized voice says, and the doors open.

Rami glances back at the other three, finally starting to wake up a bit and get excited. This was sort of his idea; or rather, when they’d been planning the trip, Joe mentioned it, and Rami jumped at it. He wanted to see the city from high up. “Wow,” he says softly, immediately going to the edge. “Look at the park.”

Joe follows after him, wavering a bit on his feet. “Please don’t stand _so_ close,” he says, taking a couple steps back.

“Gwil, look!” Rami exclaims, glancing back at Gwil and Ben, who are standing a few feet back, Ben clutching onto Gwil’s arm. “Oh, Ben, are you—”

“I’m fine,” Ben says quickly, “don’t worry.” He looks scared to death, though.

“I’m just going to look, love,” Gwil says softly, and he lets go of Ben to walk over to Rami. Ben immediately moves to stand next to Joe.

“Look,” Rami says softly, grasping onto Gwil’s arm. “Look at it all.”

Gwil smiles. “It’s huge,” he says softly. “It’s beautiful.”

Rami smiles. “I…wow,” he says. He shifts, leaning a bit further towards the edge, and Gwil keeps his grip on him. “I want to look at everything,” he says, slowly starting to walk around the roof. “Look at the river.” He turns around, and then starts walking towards the other side. “That’s the Empire State Building, right?” He smiles over at Gwil. “Remember when it opened?” he asked.

Gwil nods. “I do,” he says. “World’s tallest building, it was big news.”

“Seriously, you guys should write a book about all the shit you remember,” Joe says. “I mean, the fucking Empire State Building? Come on.”

Rami and Gwil smile at each other, and continue slowly walking around, looking down on New York City.

“So it _is_ them,” someone off to the side says, and Rami and Gwil immediately look at each other.

“It’s alright,” Gwil says softly, leaning down towards Rami.

Rami nods. “I know,” he says, but he keeps his eyes down, avoiding whichever tourist it was that spoke.

Gwil looks up and meets Ben’s eyes, and gets a comforting smile in return. He squeezes Rami’s shoulder, and then points out towards the skyline. “I like the looks of that one,” he says, “beautiful cathedral.”

“It is pretty,” Rami says, looking down through the glass. 

“Maybe you should get married there,” Gwil says, and Rami smiles, rolling his eyes. 

“I can’t imagine how much that costs,” Rami says. “That’s…it is nice, though.”

“Oh, wait!”

They both turn when they hear Joe speak, confused. That's when they see two women standing behind them, one of them holding a young girl in her arms. Rami frowns, looking at Joe, who just shrugs and mouths ‘sorry’ at him.

“Uh, hi,” one of the women says, and Rami swallows hard. She has an American accent, and her voice sounds similar to the woman they heard speak earlier. 

“We don’t want to bother you,” the other woman, the one with the little girl, says, and Gwil squeezes Rami’s shoulder again, “but…we saw you and— you are…them, right?”

Rami wonders if they could lie. If they only recognize them from that photo, Gwil looks slightly different at least, with his beard. Rami knows he looks the same though, and the two of them together…well, the women aren’t idiots.

“How can we help?” Gwil asks. Which is nice, Rami thinks, that’s a good answer; it’s not a yes or a no, and maybe the women will be so thrown by it that they just move on.

The women glance at each other, and for a second Rami hopes that they’ll just apologize and leave. He doesn’t know why he's so anxious, it’s not as if they’re going to demand a full account of everything that happened to them, or want to know what they’ve been up to— they probably just want to say hello. 

“Just…” the first woman says, and Rami can feels his muscles tightening as he anxiously awaits what she says. “My husband is an engineer, he’s talked about you before. You’re sort of like, a hero. To so many people.”

“Oh,” Rami says, nodding dumbly. “Uh, that’s lovely,” he says after a moment.

“Are you still an engineer?” she asks.

“Yes,” Rami nods, “I am. Just…brushing up first.”

“What you did was so amazing,” the second woman says, shifting the child in her arms. “We just wanted to thank you. For risking your lives.”

“We were just doing our jobs,” Rami says.

“But thank you,” Gwil finishes.

The women smile and politely nod, before walking away, and they can hear them speaking to the little girl, telling them that ‘those men' went to space.

Joe is immediately at Rami's side. "Are you okay?" he asks. “I could see them heading towards you but—”

“It was fine,” Rami says. “They didn’t say anything untoward.”

Gwil reaches his hand out to Ben, who immediately takes it. “No, they just wanted to thank us, that’s all.”

Ben smiles up at Gwil. “That’s alright, isn't it?” he asks.

Gwil thinks for a moment, then nods. “It— yeah, I think so.”

Rami nods, and takes Joe’s hand, walking a bit closer to the edge again, looking out at the city.

“Can we just stay in the middle?” Ben asks softly, and Gwil chuckles, pressing his lips to Ben’s forehead.

“You should have said something, love,” Gwil says, and Ben just shakes his head.

“You okay?” Joe asks Rami, watching him look at the city.

Rami nods. “It really was fine,” he says. “I was a bit anxious, but…they just said thank you.” He looks over at Joe. “I thought maybe when I came back, people would…like me better. I didn’t mind the idea of people knowing who I was then, but now it just seems so terribly frightening.”

“I’m sorry,” Joe says.

Rami shrugs. “I…don’t want to hide away either, though. That’s— maybe I should have been nicer to them,” he says, glancing back towards where the women are taking photos.

“You were fine,” Joe says. “Don’t worry about that.”

Rami nods, and then wraps his arms around Joe’s waist, resting against him.

“What’s wrong?” Joe asks.

Rami shakes his head. “Nothing,” he says, “you're just comfy.”

Joe smiles. “That’s all my extra padding.”

Rami smiles too. “Do you think that I should…talk to people?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” Joe asks. “Like, strangers?”

“Like, interviews,” Rami says.

“Oh, wait, what?” Joe says. “Like, on TV?” he asks. “Uh…no. Not really.” Rami frowns a bit, and Joe quickly speaks again. “I mean, if you _want_ to, but don’t feel like you have to, babe. I mean, you're going back to university, you can talk to people there. You can talk to people at the IIS. But interviews, that's like…” He smiles at Rami. “I guess I can share you with the world, if you want.”

Rami smiles back. “Maybe we’ll see how uni goes first,” he says. “And we’ll have a baby to think about,” he says. “It might be hard for them to grow up if the world knows they’re mine.”

“We can talk about that,” Joe says, “if you want. Any time you want. I…if you think it would help, I think you should.” He looks over to where Gwil is looking over the edge, his arm stretched back, holding onto Ben, who’s as far back as he can be. “You might have to talk to Gwil though.”

Rami nods. “I would,” he says. “It wouldn’t be fair.” He sighs, looking out at the city again. “It really is beautiful here,” he says softly.

Joe nods. “I sort of wish I proposed in a place like this,” he says. “It’s so beautiful, you deserve it.”

Rami smiles. “I love where you proposed to me,” he says. “And I can’t wait to see it again in the summer.” He gives Joe a kiss. “You already gave me everything I deserve.”

“You’re so fucking cheesy,” Joe says, and Rami laughs loudly, the sound piercing the air.

“That’s rude!” Rami exclaims, and Joe laughs. 

“I know,” he says, and Rami just shakes his head. 

“You’re terrible,” Rami says, trying to pull away from him. “Come on, we should leave before Ben gets too upset.”

“I’m fine,” Ben says, looking over at them. “I really am, just…fine. Right here. In the middle.”

“You keep looking with Gwil,” Joe says softly, “I’ll take care of Ben.” 

Rami nods and smiles, walking over to Gwil, and Joe walks over to Ben, getting him to let go Gwil’s hand, and take Joe’s arm instead.

“You okay?” Joe asks Ben, and Ben nods.

“I'm not even afraid of heights,” Ben says. “I…we're just quite high, aren't we.”

“Do you wanna go back in?” Joe asks

Ben shakes his head. “I…sort of like seeing Gwil look at it all. He’s so happy to be here.”

Joe smiles and watches Rami and Gwil point at the East River, then take a couple steps to point out a building in the skyline. “I’m really glad he stayed,” he says softly, and Ben looks at him.

“What?” he asks.

“Just…I can’t imagine doing this without Gwil,” Joe says. “I don’t even know if Rami would want to do this without him, I— I’m glad he stayed.” He looks at Ben and smiles. “For you too, of course. But…yeah.”

“I’m happy too,” Ben says, and Joe rolls his eyes.

“Oh, really?” Joe asks sarcastically. “You're happy the guy you love decided not to fuck off to space for the rest of your life?”

“Oh shut up,” Ben says, “you’re such a prick.”

Joe smiles and starts walking towards the edge of the roof. “Come over here and say that, Benny.”

“Joe, stop,” Ben says, trying to plant his weight.

“Or are you too scared?” Joe teases.

“I'm not too scared to throw you off the bloody roof,” Ben says, and Joe grins, stopping where he is.

“Okay,” Joe says, “let’s just stay here until they’re done, okay?”

Ben nods, then looks around, taking in the view. “It is really nice,” he says. “Just…be nicer from a little lower.”

Joe laughs loudly, slinging his arm around Ben’s shoulders. “Then there’d be no view!” he says. “Come on, we should get a photo of you two up here! The city in the background.”

Ben takes a hesitant step towards Gwil, and then tightens his hold on Joe. “Maybe just one at the baseball game tonight,” he says.

Joe nods. “Okay, buddy,” he says. “Well, I’m going to see if Gwil will take a photo of me and Rami, so are you okay right here? In this spot, don’t move?” Ben nods, and lets go of Joe. Joe smiles and walks over to Gwil and Rami. 

Ben watches as Gwil takes a photo of Rami and Joe, and then Joe takes a photo of Rami and Gwil. He swallows hard and lets out a shaky breath, then walks over to them, still staying a couple feet back, making sure one of them is between him and the edge.

“Come here, love,” Gwil says softly, and he pulls Ben in. Gwil smiles at Joe, who’s still got his phone out, and Ben looks up at Gwil, smiling at him.

“Perfect,” Joe says.

“Wait, I—” Ben says, looking at Joe.

“It was perfect,” Joe says, smiling at him. “Don’t worry. You think I’d do you wrong? Come on.” Ben looks at him for a moment, and then nods, smiling in thanks.

“How long do people spend up here?” Rami asks.

Joe shrugs. “Long as you want, no hurry.”

“Okay,” Rami says. “I’m going to take a few more photos. I’ll just be quick.”

“No hurry, I said,” Joe says, but Rami just walks away, taking out his phone. “He loves it here,” he says to Gwil and Ben.

“So do I,” Gwil says. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s— I’m so pleased to be here. Thank you, Joe.” Ben snuggles up against him, and Gwil wraps an arm around him, while smiling at Joe.

“No way, the pleasure’s all mine,” Joe says. “We’ve barely been here a day and it’s already like, the coolest thing ever. I love it.”

“Yeah, it’s great,” Ben says.

“How would you know?” Joe asks. “You haven’t even _looked_ yet.”

“I can see from here!” Ben says. “Gwil, you don’t have to stand with me; if you want to go with Rami, go with Rami.”

“No, I can see everything I need from right here,” Gwil says, smiling down at him, and Joe fake gags.

“Okay,” Joe says, “I can’t. I’m gonna go take some selfies. You guys are too much.” He walks off, west towards the Hudson River, and Ben leans up, giving Gwil a kiss.

“I love you,” Ben says softly, and Gwil nods, kissing him again.

“I love you too.”

\+ + + + +

They take the subway back to their hotel. They have a couple of hours before they need to leave again so Rami immediately climbs into bed to have a nap. Joe texts Nelly about Augie, and then goes in the bathroom to quietly call his mother, asking about dinner on Friday and catching her up on what they’ve done so far. When he comes back out, Rami’s asleep, dead to the world by the looks of it, so Joe smiles and climbs in bed with him, setting an alarm.

Gwil and Ben go back to their hotel room, and also immediately climb into bed, but they turn on the television instead. Gwil also takes out his laptop, going to the BBC.

“Hmm, what’s the news?” Ben asks, resting against Gwil’s side, flicking through the television channels.

“_Why does Wales have so many castles?_” Gwil reads aloud, and Ben makes a quiet noise, smiling.

“You'll have to read it and let me know the answer,” Ben says.

“Oh, you don’t want me to read it aloud to you?” Gwil asks, smiling.

Ben looks up at him, shaking his head. “I think you can summarize it for me just fine.” He settles back down against Gwil, stopping on a television channel that doesn’t really interest him, but that doesn’t really bother him either.

“You alright?” Gwil asks.

“Yeah, think so,” Ben says. “Still a bit tired, is all.”

Gwil makes a quiet noise, nodding slowly. “And were you alright this morning, love?” he asks.

“When?” Ben asks, looking up at him.

“At breakfast,” Gwil says. “Or, beforehand, rather. When you were with Joe.”

“Yes, of course,” Ben says, “just…you know.” He smiles and presses a quick kiss to Gwil’s arm. “Joe helped.”

“Right,” Gwil nods. “O— okay. If you say you’re alright.”

“Yeah, brilliant,” Ben says, looking back to the television, and Gwil frowns a little, but doesn’t want to press the issue. He softly sighs, and looks back at his laptop.

\+ + + + +

“This is what I like to see!” Joe says, clapping his hands as Ben and Gwil walk out of their hotel room, wearing Yankees jerseys. “Handsome as hell, everybody looking good, feeling good.”

Ben sighs, looking down at himself. “I feel like an idiot,” he says.

“What?” Joe asks. “Why?”

“Joe, people know I don’t know anything about baseball,” Ben says. “Listen to my voice. I’m not from New York, mate.”

“Well, then just keep your mouth shut,” Joe says, immediately followed by, “I realize there was a better way to say that and I’m sorry.”

“Do you want me to stay here?” Ben asks.

“No, of course not!” Joe exclaims. “Come on, come on,” he says, “I want us to go to the game. I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

Ben looks at Joe and then finally smiles, rolling his eyes. “Yes, come on,” he says. “You took me to Wimbledon, least I can do is watch a Yankees game.”

“_Two_,” Joe reminds him again.

“Yes, well, let’s see how this one goes first, shall we?” Ben says.

Gwil smiles at Rami, reaching out to tap on the brim of his baseball hat. “That’s a nice look,” he says.

“Thank you,” Rami says. “Joe got it for me.”

“Oh?” Gwil asks. “And why don’t we have hats too, Joe? I’d like one.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Joe says, “I didn’t realize. But I can buy you one at the stadium, if you want. Or a foam finger.”

Gwil frowns a bit. “What’s a foam finger?” he asks. “I mean, I can assume, but…”

Joe grins. “Oh yeah, you’re getting a foam finger. Come on, boys! We’ve got beers to drink, food to eat, balls to catch. Let’s go!”

“What about you?” Ben asks, reaching out to pinch at Joe’s shirt; whereas the other three are wearing short-sleeved baseball jerseys, Joe’s wearing a long-sleeved dress shirt. With the Yankees logo embroidered on it, of course. “You look like a prat. You’ll sweat to death.”

“I had to wear it,” Joe says. “Just tonight. I’ll wear my jersey on Thursday.” He smiles over at Rami. “Had to finally wear my gift, right babe?” He lifts his arm up, showing off his navy blue Yankee cufflinks that had been sitting in his room since September, waiting for a Yankees game.

Rami nods and reaches out, taking Joe’s hand. “I think he looks handsome,” he says.

Gwil and Ben smile. “He certainly does,” Gwil says softly, and Rami smiles over at him.

It’s just a short walk north to the subway station, and they’re on it for less than twenty minutes before they get out and switch lines, which takes them directly to the stadium. Joe’s energy changes, and he can’t stop bouncing up and down, obviously more excited the closer they get.

“How long has it been, Joe?” Gwil asks. 

“Since I saw a game live?” Joe asks. Gwil nods. “Uh…three years, I think.” He smiles up at Gwil. “I’m _really_ excited.”

“We can tell,” Ben says.

“No, I mean, really,” Joe says. “I— thank you. For coming with! And letting me put you in jerseys and spending your time here.”

"Of course," Gwil says.

“Our pleasure," Rami smiles.

“Okay,” Joe says, nodding eagerly, and he leads them up to the large line-up slowly filing into the stadium. They scan their tickets and go through security, and Joe looks around the stadium, grinning. “It’s like coming home,” he says softly.

“Should we eat?” Gwil asks. “How does this work?”

Joe smiles. “We can go find our section,” he says, “and grab something to eat there. And then we can get snacks for the game.”

“I feel like a proper American,” Gwil says, and they follow Joe through the stadium to the general area where they’re sitting. There’s a Hawaiian restaurant there, so Ben and Rami each get a chicken sandwich, whereas Gwil gets a pulled pork sandwich, and Joe, pulled pork nachos. They move off to the side and start eating, Joe chatting quickly between each bite as he explains who his favourite players are and who’s off injured and who will be starting pitcher tonight. Gwil listens, nodding his head as he chews his food. Rami and Ben only sort of pay attention, but give polite smiles every once in awhile.

“You know the rules, right?” Joe asks.

Gwil nods slowly, thinking. “Uh, mostly, I think? I’ve picked up quite a bit, watching it on the tele with you. I’m sure I can figure out the basics and if I have any questions, I’ll let you know.”

Joe turns to Ben and Rami. Ben chews a bit, swallowing hard, then nods. “I’m good,” he says.

“I’m sure I can figure it out,” Rami says. He looks around the stadium. “It’s so big,” he says. “I’m impressed that there are so many baseball fans here.”

“Baseball’s like a religion here, babe,” Joe says. “Every time a New Yorker is born, the doctor holds it up and decides: Yankees or Mets.”

“Oh my god,” Ben mutters, taking another bite of his sandwich.

“It’s on my birth certificate,” Joe continues.

“It is _not_,” Rami says, playfully bumping his shoulder against Joe’s.

“It’s in my _soul_,” Joe says.

“I don’t doubt that,” Gwil says. 

They finish their food, tidying up and tossing their garbage away, and Joe takes out their tickets again, leading them to their section, on the Yankees side, then to their row, about twenty rows back from the dugout. 

They take their seats, and Rami immediately twists, turning and looking around at the stadium. “Wow,” he says softly. “There really are so many people here,” he says.

“It’s quite grand,” Gwil says, nodding.

“Yeah, it’s alright,” Ben says.

Joe snorts, leaning forward to look past Gwil at Ben. “You could at least pretend to have fun.”

“I _am_,” Ben says. “This is brilliant.”

Joe smiles, then immediately narrows his eyes. “Wait, you’re having fun, or you’re _pretending_ to have fun?”

Ben smiles back, shrugging. “You’ll never know, I guess,” he says.

They sit for awhile, talking and watching the announcements and advertisements on the jumbotron. When the players take the field, Joe quickly stands up, clapping loudly and cheering them on. “Yes! Yes! Whoo!”

“Oh my god,” Ben mutters, sliding down a bit in his seat.

“Not quite as posh as Wimbledon, I’ll say that,” Gwil says.

Joe sits back down, grinning ear to ear. “This is so fucking awesome.”

\+ + + + +

A couple innings in, Ben sighs, trying to stretch out in his seat. “Is anyone else thirsty?” he asks.

“I could go for a beer,” Gwil says.

“I’ll come,” Rami says, pushing himself up.

“Yeah?” Ben says, standing. “Joe?”

“Sure, thanks,” Joe says.

“Alright,” Ben says, letting go of Gwil’s hand as he walks by him, though not before squeezing his fingers one last time. “We’ll be back.”

“Oh, here,” Joe says, handing Ben two tickets. “Just in case they check.”

“Come on,” Rami says, leading the way.

Gwil turns in his seat, watching Ben and Rami as walk away from them, then he looks at Joe. 

Joe pulls out his phone for a moment, quickly checking his notifications, then he puts it away and turns to look up at Gwil, smiling. “Whatʼs up, big guy?” he asks cheerfully. 

“Nothing,” Gwil says, shrugging. “Just watching the game. Iʼm chuffed.” He smiles at Joe. “It’s really fun, actually.”

“Good,” Joe says. He shifts in his seat a bit, settling closer to him. “I like you happy, Gwil. This is great.” 

“Thank you,” Gwil says quietly, then glances back in the direction that Ben and Rami walked. “I _am_ happy.” 

Joe frowns a bit, shifting in his seat again. “So why does that sound like your ‘not happyʼ voice?” he asks. 

Gwil looks down and sighs a bit. “Itʼs…I am happy,” he says again, “but…is Ben?” he asks. 

“What?” Joe asks. “Ye— yeah, of course he is!” He smiles at Gwil, patting him on the knee. “Heʼs great. Like a kid in a candy store. Seriously, just wait and see how much junk he comes back here with.” 

“No, it’s not…that,” Gwil says. “I know baseball’s not really his sport but we’re all having a brilliant time. It's just— this morning, at the hotel. Did I do something? I— I never know sometimes, if itʼs me or if itʼs—”

“What do you mean?” Joe asks.

“Joe, please,” Gwil says. “I’m not blind. I saw him. Whatever you two were talking about, he didn’t look very happy.”

"That wasn't you,” Joe says. “That wasn’t anything. That was just me. Trust me.”

“Then why does he feel like he canʼt talk to me about it?” Gwil asks. “Why can he only talk to you?” He makes a face and quickly speaks again. “This isnʼt me telling you that you canʼt— Iʼm not jealous, I just— I know youʼre his best mate, thatʼs not what I mean, I just…” Gwil shakes his head a bit. “I donʼt know what to say sometimes and to be honest Iʼm not sure that he wants me to try.” He swallows hard. “I know heʼs happy here, but is he happy…with me? Has he said?” 

Joe turns all the way in his seat, facing Gwil. “Gwil, come on, no. What— yes, of course heʼs happy with you. He loves you. This— this morning. It really wasn't a big deal. It was my fault anyway. I just made a dumb joke without thinking, you know, and he got— a little upset. No biggie. Really.”

“Alright,” Gwil says, “if you say so.” He sighs.

“I’m sorry if like, he didn't say,” Joe says, “or if you felt excluded or something. Man. He’s _so_ happy with you. Trust me.” He settles back in his seat, facing the field again. 

“Iʼm sorry,” Gwil says. “I shouldnʼt have said anything. I’m— I’m sorry. Of course.” He turns a bit in his seat, looking around the stadium. “Youʼre a good friend to him, Joe. I donʼt know where heʼd be without you.” 

Joe immediately grins, turning to Gwil. “Oh, god knows,” he says. “I’ve really taken him under my wing over the years.”

Gwil smiles over at him. “Did you two really never have feelings for each other?” he asks.

Joe quickly inhales, and starts coughing, choking on his own spit. “Jesus,” he gasps out, and Gwil reaches out to pat him on the back, rubbing between his shoulder blades. “Where did that come from?” he asks. 

“I wouldnʼt be upset,” Gwil says. “I mean, Iʼd certainly understand. Iʼm just surprised, is all.” 

“Really?” Joe asks. “Why?”

Gwil shrugs. “You're both fit, you're both smart, you worked together, you’re best mates. I…” He shrugs.

“You realize that literally also describes you and Rami, right,” Joe says.

Gwil opens his mouth to speak, and then frowns. “Well, I— yes, I suppose it does.”

“Also, thanks for calling me fit,” Joe says, “I like that.”

Gwil smiles. “Well?” he asks.

“Well what?” Joe says.

“Well…why weren't you,” Gwil asks.

“Oh, come on, seriously?” Joe asks. “You and Ben never talked about our night together?”

Gwil’s eyes widen a bit. “Uh, beg pardon?” he asks.

“Oh, guess not,” Joe says. “My bad. You should really talk to Ben about it.”

Gwil glances off in the direction that Ben and Rami went, shifting in his seat. “Uh, you— you can tell me,” he says. “I…so you did…were together.”

“Just once,” Joe says. “I— it was awhile ago. Back when we first met.”

Gwil nods slowly, then realization comes over him and he frowns, pushing at Joe’s shoulder.

“Ow, what?” Joe asks.

“You’re lying,” Gwil says. “Ben said that I’m—”

Joe grins. “Ben said you’re what?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Gwil says, eyes darting away. “But you're lying.”

“Yeah, duh,” Joe says. “Seriously, I— no, Ben and I were _really_ never together. I mean, am I going to tell you that I didnʼt think he was hot? No, I am not.” He smiles at Gwil and Gwil laughs. “I mean, I have eyes. I still do. Heʼs hot, youʼre hot, everybodyʼs hot!” Gwil laughs again. “But…no, not really. Maybe if I didnʼt know him, if heʼd just been some guy I stared at at work, then Iʼm sure I wouldʼve gotten a big ole crush on him and just got all queasy whenever he talked to me.” He smiles faintly. “Okay, maybe there was a _bit_ of a crush. For like, a day.”

“Does Ben know about that?” Gwil asks.

“I’ll ask you not to repeat it,” Joe says. “But once we knew each other, I mean, Ben was young when we met. And just away from…you know. He seemed kind of more sad than anything. I just wanted to protect him. Not kiss him.” 

Gwil laughs. “Well, thank god for that,” he says.

Joe snorts. “Oh yeah?” he asks. “Whyʼs that?” 

Gwil shrugs. “Iʼd never have been able to compete.” 

“Oh god,” Joe mutters. “Are you kidding me? Ben and I could have been together for _years_; you walk off the Mercury and heʼs dumping me immediately. Just whoosh, gone, like a ghost.” 

“I think you underestimate yourself, Joe,” Gwil says. “And how much he loves you.”

Joe smiles faintly. “Maybe,” he says softly. “Besides, let’s get back to the _real_ topic of conversation here.”

“Oh?” Gwil asks.

“Yeah!” Joe says. “Oh! You and Rami. Fit. Smart. Worked together. Don’t tell me Rami’s not pretty enough for you, Gwil.”

Gwil laughs loudly. “Joe, I swear, I would _never_ say such a thing. Rami’s pretty as pretty can be.”

“Damn right he is,” Joe mutters. “And don’t you forget it.”

Gwil smiles. “Though, I think you’re forgetting a couple _very_ important things here, Joe.”

“Oh?” Joe asks.

Gwil nods. “First of all, I didn’t know Rami was gay.”

“Oh, yeah,” Joe says. “That is a good point. I mean, you could have made your move anyway, slid into his DMs, not that you know what those are or what that means. There was always—”

“Roger,” Gwil says.

Joe just looks at him, swallowing hard. “Oh. Right.”

Gwil smiles faintly. “I’d been with Roger for years before I ever even met Rami. And, as I’m sure you can imagine, I was quite happy with him.”

“Yeah, obviously,” Joe says. “Sorry. Like, duh. I— I guess I didn’t really know how long you’d been with Roger.”

“Awhile,” Gwil says. “Quite awhile.”

“Sorry,” Joe says again.

Gwil shakes his head. "No, don’t be.” He bites on his lip briefly, before speaking again. “I did always find Rami attractive, though,” he says.

“I knew it!” Joe exclaims, and Gwil laughs. “Whoops, sorry,” he says, shrinking down in his seat a bit. “But I knew it.”

“I said he was pretty, didn’t I?” Gwil says.

“Maybe you two would’ve…you know,” Joe says. “You know.” He winks. “If you hadn’t fallen head over heels in love with me, I mean.”

“Oh, right,” Gwil says. "Of course.”

“Joking, obviously,” Joe says. He smiles faintly. “So like, not even once—”

“Not even once what?” Ben asks, holding a pretzel out to Joe.

“Hey!” Joe says. “Uh, nothing,” he says. “We were just chatting. What’d you guys get?”

“Here’s your drink,” Rami says, handing him one off the tray he’s carrying. “Gwil,” he says, handing a beer out to him as well.

“Thank you,” Gwil says, looking as Ben walks by him, taking his seat.

“I bought you this,” Ben says, handing Gwil a bag of candy floss.

“And popcorn?” Gwil asks.

“For me,” Ben says, “but you’re welcome to share.”

Gwil glances over at Rami, and then his eyes widen. “What the bloody hell is that?” he asks, leaning forward, gesturing towards the drink in Rami’s hand.

“It is called a gourmet shake,” Rami says. 

“There’s a cupcake sticking out of it,” Gwil says.

Rami smiles and shrugs. “I can go get you one if you’d like,” he says.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Gwil says, taking a sip of his beer. “What’d you get, love?” he asks, turning back to Ben.

“Guinness,” Ben says.

“Oh, of course,” Gwil says, nodding.

“What did we miss?” Ben asks, tossing a couple pieces of popcorn into his mouth.

“Of the game?” Gwil asks. “Not sure, really. We just had a bit of a chat.” He leans in to kiss Ben’s cheek while stealing a piece of popcorn. “What’d we miss out there?” he asks.

“Oh, loads,” Ben says. “All sorts of interesting things. Crazy Americans.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Gwil says. He settles back in his seat, then reaches out, resting his hand on Ben’s leg. “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asks.

Ben looks up at him, smiling. “Of course I am,” he says. “This is lovely.”

“Good,” Gwil says.

Joe turns, examining the drink in Rami’s hand. “I thought you were just thirsty,” Joe says, “that is an entire meal.”

Rami smiles at him, and picks the cupcake up out of the cup, handing it out to Joe. “Bite?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Joe says, “it looks too sweet.”

Rami raises an eyebrow, and Joe leans forward, taking a bite out of the cupcake. Rami smiles and leans in, giving Joe a quick kiss, licking the frosting off his lips.

“Hey, I was saving that,” Joe says, pulling back.

“Oh, terribly sorry,” Rami says. He takes a bite of the cupcake, purposely getting frosting on his lips, then kisses Joe again.

“Mm, yummy,” Joe groans, pulling back.

“Who’s winning?” Rami asks, looking around.

“Yankees, baby!” Joe exclaims, clapping a couple times. A couple people around them starting cheering as well.

“Good,” Rami says, “I’d be so sad for you otherwise.”

The game continues on, until there’s only about an inning-and-a-half left, and Joe excuses himself, running up the stairs. Rami turns in his seat, leaning closer to Gwil and Ben to chat with them.

“I think I’m getting ready for bed,” Gwil murmurs, shifting in his seat.

“If you fall asleep now, Joe will never forgive you,” Rami says, smiling at him.

“I think all of New York will attack,” Ben says. “Falling asleep at a Yankees game? Doesn’t sound safe to me.”

“Very true,” Gwil says, and he immediately sits up a bit straighter.

They watch the game until Joe appears back at the end of their row, arms full.

“What is this?” Rami asks, looking up at him.

“Gifts!” Joe says. “For you guys to remember your first Yankees game by.” He sits down. “Gwil, for you.”

“Oh yes,” Gwil nods, “a foam finger. Cheers.” He immediately puts it on, and raises his hand in the air for a moment.

Joe laughs, watching him. “Ben,” he says, reaching over to him, “this is for you.”

Ben smiles down at the Yankees Zippo lighter. “Thank you. I don’t smoke anymore, though,” he says.

“Good,” Joe says, “then it’ll stay in pristine condition forever. We can use it on birthdays. And babe,” he says, turning to Rami, “this is for you.”

Rami smiles, taking the stuffed teddy bear from him. “He’s lovely, thank you,” he says. “But you really didn’t need to buy us anything.”

“No way, of course I did,” Joe says. “This is— I’d have bought the whole store for you guys if we could take it home with us. This is like, the _best_ night. I— I hope you guys are having fun.”

“Of course we are,” Rami says, resting his head on Joe’s shoulder.

“Definitely,” Ben says, batting Gwil’s foam finger away from his face. “I’m really excited for game two.”

“Really?” Joe asks. Ben smiles and nods at him. “Okay,” he says softly. “Me too.”

\+ + + + +

Tuesday morning, Rami wakes up early— not too early, just a few minutes before their alarm is set to go off. He groans softly and stretches out, rolling onto his side. Joe’s sleeping on his stomach, face smushed into his pillow, mouth hanging open. Rami smiles at him, then pushes himself up a bit. When the alarm goes off, he knows they’ll head down for breakfast. He’s not quite sure of the order of things after that; he knows they’re going to an art gallery to see a Klimt painting, then a spy museum, and a restaurant that only serves different types of mac and cheese (and Rami’s made sure that Joe’s got his pills so he doesn’t get sick). There’s a cinema just a few blocks north from the hotel, and Rami’s excited to go tonight; he wants to see how Americans watch films, to see if it’s any different.

Joe makes a noise and his eyes shift a bit before slowly opening. “Morning, babe,” he groans, pushing himself up and rolling over, collapsing onto his back.

“Morning,” Rami says, smiling down at him, leaning down for a kiss, slow and sweet. Rami pulls back and kisses the tip of Joe’s nose. “Did you sleep well?” he asks, snuggling down beside him.

“Perfectly,” Joe says, nodding. “You?”

“Yes, thank you,” Rami says.

“Excited for the day?” Joe asks.

Rami nods. “I am, yes,” he says. “It will be lovely.”

Joe reaches up, brushing a curl back from Rami’s forehead. “And you’re happy?” he asks.

Rami smiles, nodding again. “Of course I am,” he says. He closes his eyes again, wanting to enjoy just a couple more minutes in bed with Joe before they get up. He feels Joe reach down, carefully tracing his fingers over Rami’s engagement ring.

“I love you,” Joe says softly, and Rami nods, snuggling closer.

“I love you too,” Rami says softly, and smiles, shifting to press a kiss to Joe’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • I'm that meme where people mean to add fluff but they accidentally add angst. just a smidge!  
• the boys are hitting in the city and having a grand time.  
• Joe finally got his Yankees game and I'm pretty sure it was the best night of his life.  
• the next chapter is pretty much the softest thing I've ever written, so.


	3. Chapter 3

Rami tilts his head to the side, and sighs, then tilts his head to the other side, narrowing his gaze, trying to decipher something in the splatters of paint.

“What do you think?” Ben asks, walking up to him. 

“It’s…not for me, personally,” Rami says, straightening up.

Ben smiles, patting him a couple times on the back. “Oh no?” he asks. “That’s a shame. I was going to buy it for you.”

Rami smiles and rolls his eyes. “I’m sure,” he says. “We certainly don’t have the room to hang it.”

“And last time I checked his paintings go for about 150 million pounds,” Ben says, and Rami’s eyes widen and his mouth drops open. “Sorry, Rami, I just don’t have that kind of budget.”

“Oh my god,” Rami mutters, slowly starting to walk away. “Why didn’t I become a painter?” They wander into another room, where Joe is standing in front of a painting of soup cans, and Gwil is looking at something that just seems to be a dark blue rectangle. Rami just frowns and shakes his head a bit. “I…I’m not sure this is my type of art,” he says, a bit sheepishly. “Is this— is all American art like this?” he asks.

“Americans make rubbish art,” Ben says softly, and Rami laughs. “The good stuff’s up on the next floor.”

“We shouldn’t abandon them just yet,” Rami says. “Joe seems to really like that painting.” They sit down next to each other on a small bench in the middle of the room.

“I think he’s just pretending so that people here think he’s smart,” Ben says. “He’ll be happy to know that he’s tricked you.”

Rami smiles and playfully bumps his shoulder against Ben’s. “Do you like art?” he asks.

“I don't know, really,” Ben says. “I like the art I like, I suppose. Isn’t that how it is for most people?”

“Yes, that’s true,” Rami says. “I’ve never really felt that artistic. I like taking my photos, but that’s not really _art_, that’s just things I like to look at. I can’t paint worth a damn, or write. And then I come to a place like this and I see— it’s like, maybe I should paint. Maybe it’d be fun. Maybe I’m wasting my talent or something.”

Ben smiles. “I know what you mean,” he says. “Any time I see someone who’s done really well, like watching the baseball game, I’m like, imagine if I’d stuck to rugby. Maybe I’d be famous now, playing for England. But Rami, I don’t think you’re wasting your talent. You can paint, if you want. Just…go buy some paint.”

Rami smiles back at him. “I suppose it really is that easy, isn’t it.” Ben nods. “I think I’m still getting used to the idea of…having time. And money. And— options. Even now. It’s so odd to me.”

“You’ve got fifty years left to do whatever you want,” Ben says, “so if you want to start painting soup cans, please do. I’d love to see it.”

“Would you hang it in your flat?” Rami asks.

“Absolutely,” Ben says. “I’d be honoured.” And he means it; Rami can tell.

They sit there until Gwil and Joe are finished in that room and walk over to them, and then they get up, walking to another. Eventually, they make their up to the fifth floor, and Ben watches Rami’s eyes light up as they walk into the first room. Ben looks around at the art on the walls. He admits, he doesn’t know much about art, and like he said, he only likes what he likes, but Rami seems quite chuffed to be there. Ben smiles, watching Rami hurry over to one of the paintings, followed by Joe. This trip was already so worth it, Ben thinks.

\+ + + + +

They leave MoMA and walk north to Central Park. Joe said he wanted to show them the southern half of the park, and he leads them to the statue of William Shakespeare, and the carousel.

“Hey, Gwil,” Joe says, “guess what this part is called?” he asks, spreading his arms wide, gesturing to the large field of green behind him.

Gwil glances at Ben, and then just shrugs. “Uh, I wouldn’t— uh, the Green.”

“Damn, that’s a good guess,” Joe says, “which clearly somebody already told you. _But_, no, that’s not what I meant. It’s called Sheep Meadow,” he says, winking at Gwil.

Gwil just shakes his head a bit. “You brought me to New York to make a sheep joke,” he says. “Alright. Well, I admire the dedication.”

“Are there really sheep here?” Rami asks, looking around.

“Not anymore babe, no, sorry,” Joe says.

“Oh,” Rami says.

“But we can ride the carousel if you want,” Joe says. “I’ll even pay, how’s that sound?”

Rami rolls his eyes, but he smiles anyway, reaching out to take Joe’s hand.

“Ben?” Gwil asks, looking over at him. “Carousel? I’ll even pay, how’s that sound?” he asks, winking at him.

Ben laughs and shakes his head a bit. “I suppose I’ll let you spend three dollars on me, but don’t expect me to put out for it.”

“Oh, I would _never_,” Gwil murmurs, leaning down to give Ben a kiss. “I know I’ve got to spend at least ten pounds on you before I can get you out of your pants.”

“Oh my god,” Ben says, pulling away from him, Gwil starting to laugh.

“Come on, love,” Gwil says, “I’ll even hold onto your waist so you don’t fall off, like my mam did for me when I was a lad.”

“Oh, even better,” Ben says, smiling. “Fine. You’re lucky I put up with you.”

Gwil wraps his arms around Ben’s waist, pulling him, burying his face in Ben’s neck. “Trust me, love,” he murmurs, “I know.” He kisses Ben’s neck and then pulls back, kissing his lips. “How many times do you think we can ride it before we have to be at the theatre?” he asks.

Ben laughs, following after Joe and Rami in the line. Gwil stands behind him, pulling Ben close to him, sighing as they wait for their turn.

“This is New York’s version of the Eye,” Joe says, turning back to them, and Gwil chuckles. “Uber romantic.”

“Not much of a view,” Ben says, and Joe smiles.

“_I’m_ the view,” he says, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“Oh god,” Ben mutters.

“Get a horse behind me, Ben,” Joe says, “that way you can check me out without Gwil getting mad— I mean, or not,” he says, waggling his eyebrows at Gwil.

“I didn’t come to New York to stare at your arse, Joe,” Ben says.

“No, but I did,” Rami says, grinning, and Ben and Gwil loudly groan as Joe leans in to give Rami a kiss.

\+ + + + +

They walk down 7th Avenue towards the Winter Garden Theatre, and the closer they get, the more excited Gwil gets. Joe, having already seen enough plays and musicals on Broadway to fill a book, decided that his opinion mattered the least, and that he’d see whatever the other three agreed on. Rami had said that he was happy to see whatever; he was happy with London’s West End, and couldn’t think of any plays in New York at the moment he thought he _needed_ to see. It had come down to Ben and Gwil making the decision. Ben didn’t care that much either way; he’d go see whatever anybody else wanted to see (and he’d already been to Broadway while on a work trip for the IIS a couple years before), but if he had cared, he would’ve changed his mind when he saw how excited Gwil got when they were looking at the schedule for what would be playing while they were there.

They’d been at Rami and Joe’s flat, playing with Augie, looking at Joe’s computer, checking the dates of shows against the dates of their trip and other things they’d had planned. There were over thirty shows playing the day they were looking at, and Ben had Joe’s laptop on his lap, Gwil sitting next to him. Ben was reading the titles, and then short plot descriptions of the ones that the others thought sounded interesting.

“_Funny Girl_,” Ben had read, and Joe looked up from where he was sat on the floor, Augie in front of him.

“Good movie,” Joe had commented.

“What’s it about?” Rami asked

“_Funny Girl_ is a 1964 musical; the semi-biographical plot is based on the life and career of Broadway star, film actress and comedian Fanny Brice,” Ben had read from the website.

Gwil’s ears had pricked up, and he turned towards the computer screen. “Fanny Brice?” he’d asked, and Ben nodded.

Gwil hadn’t said much about it then, but when they finally decided to start booking things, and it came time to choose which show they wanted to see, Gwil had hesitantly started, “I don’t know what anybody else wants to see, and I’m okay with anything, really, but I— well, there is one I’d like to see. But it’s alright if no one else wants to, that’s…fine.”

“Which one, big guy?” Joe had asked, looking up from his computer, credit card at the ready.

“Well, I…was sort of hoping we could see, uh, _Funny Girl_,” Gwil said, and Joe smiled at him.

“Who is Fanny Brice?” Ben had asked.

“She, she was in a film I liked,” Gwil said, “_The Great Ziegfeld_. And she sang a few songs I rather liked. I— I know Joe said it’s a film and we could always just watch that but—”

“My vote is for _Funny Girl_,” Rami had said immediately, smiling over at Gwil.

“Seconded,” Joe agreed, going to the ticketing page on his laptop.

Ben had looked at Gwil, and saw how happy he was, and he could do nothing but smile.

“Really?” Gwil had asked softly, and Ben nodded.

“Yeah, of course,” Ben said. “I think it sounds lovely.”

Now, they’re just a couple minutes away from the theatre, and Gwil’s got a grin on his face that he’s trying to hide, and he’s squeezing Ben’s hand just a bit too tightly, but Ben can’t be bothered to tell him. He had no idea Gwil was going to be _this_ excited the day of, but he’s really happy that he is. They were going to see a musical based on the life of someone that Gwil was actually a fan of, somebody whose music he knew and films he’d seen.

“You deserve this,” Ben says, looking up at Gwil.

“What?” Gwil asks, stopping where they’re walking.

“Just,” Ben shrugs, “after everything, I— I’m happy we can see this. Together. That’s all. I like seeing you happy.”

Gwil smiles. “That’s what Joe told me too,” he says, glancing ahead where Rami and Joe have stopped a few feet away, talking.

Ben nods. “Because we love you.” He leans up, giving Gwil a kiss. “I love that we’re on holiday together right now.” He squeezes Gwil’s hand even tighter. “I love that you’re here.”

Gwil nods, kissing Ben again. “So am I,” he says. “I love you so much.”

“Me too,” Ben says.

They finish walking to the Winter Garden Theatre. They buy cocktails and candy, finding a small table in the lobby to stand and eat and drink, before finding their seats in the centre orchestra. They sit down, and the four of them look around, taking in the theatre.

“My parents brought me here a couple times when we were kids,” Joe says. “It’s cool to be back here again.”

“I like it,” Rami says, nodding. He snuggles against Joe’s side, smiling when Joe kisses the top of his head. “Are you going to sing along?” he asks.

Joe chuckles, shaking his head. “Uh, that’s pretty frowned upon, babe,” he says. “Nobody paid to hear me sing.”

“If they were smart they would,” Rami says, “you have a lovely voice.”

Joe smiles. “You don’t have to flatter me, babe, we’re already engaged,” he says.

“I know,” Rami says, “but I like flattering you.”

“Thank you,” Joe says, reaching down to squeeze Rami’s left hand, looking at his ring. He smiles, and then kisses Rami’s temple. “Love you.”

Rami nods, closing his eyes, getting cozy until the show starts. “Love you too.”

“I got you this,” Ben says, nudging Gwil.

Gwil looks down as Ben opens his hand, immediately smiling. “When’d you get this?” he asks, taking the keychain out of Ben’s hand.

“When I went to the loo,” Ben says, smiling at him. “I know it’s not much.”

“No, I love it,” Gwil says, “I’ll put it on my keys as soon as we get back to the hotel.”

“Your first Broadway musical,” Ben says, watching Gwil examine the keychain. 

“I’ll always remember it,” Gwil says, slipping it into his pocket. “Thank you, love.”

“You’re welcome,” Ben says. He settles against Gwil, waiting for the show to start. “I’m chuffed you like it.”

“I’d like anything you gave me,” Gwil says, wrapping his arm around Ben’s shoulders.

Ben smiles at that; it feels nice to make his boyfriend happy. And to be happy himself. He likes it.

He likes it even more when they all stream out of the theatre almost three hours later, and he takes Gwil’s hand in the crowd, and hears him humming _Don’t Rain On My Parade_. Ben smiles up at Gwil, and tugs him a bit closer. “I guess you enjoyed it,” he says.

“I loved it,” Gwil says. He reaches out, tapping Joe on the shoulder. “Could we watch the film sometime?” he asks.

“Absolutely,” Joe says, smiling at him.

“I liked it too,” Rami says, “I love to see the film.”

“Sounds like a date,” Ben says, guiding Gwil’s hand to rest on his waist as they walk down the sidewalk together.

“Can’t wait,” Gwil says.

\+ + + + +

Rami frowns a bit, bringing his hand up to shade his eyes, looking over the water to the statue. “I think I thought it would be bigger,” he says, glancing over at Joe.

Joe smiles. “I don’t know,” he says, “I guess. No, it’s not huge.” He reaches out, playing with a piece of Rami’s hair, sighing. “Do you remember when it was built?” he asks.

Rami turns to look at him. “What?” he asks.

“The statue,” Joe says, looking over at it. “Or did nobody care, really? Because it was American?”

Gwil snorts a bit, shaking his head. 

“What?” Joe asks.

“No, nothing,” Gwil says, reaching up to push down a piece of Ben’s hair that keeps flying up as the boat takes them across Upper New York Bay. “No, Joe, we don’t remember.”

“Hmm,” Joe says, nodding slowly. “Must not have been in the news much then, I guess.”

Rami looks over at Ben, who’s resting against the side of the boat, looking out over the water.

“They hadn’t been born yet, Joe,” Ben says, not looking over at him.

Rami and Gwil look at each other, and both start to laugh. 

“Oh,” Joe says, “well, yeah, I guess that makes sense why you don’t remember it then.”

Ben smiles, shaking his head a bit. “Yeah, that would probably do it,” he says.

“Maybe I should read a history book every once in awhile,” Joe says, and Rami turns to look at him.

“Well, that would take all the fun out of it,” Rami says, shifting in his seat to curl against him. “How else could we tease you?”

“Well, maybe I don't want to be teased,” Joe says, playfully pouting. “Maybe I want to be as smart as my friends.”

Ben snorts. “Joe, I’m pretty sure they’re geniuses.”

“Yes, Joe,” Gwil says sarcastically, “haven’t you heard?”

Joe smiles, rolling his eyes. “Oh yes, forgive me, how could I forget? You guys only remind me every other day.”

“Don’t worry, Joe,” Ben says, reaching out, trying to feel the spray of the water off the bay against his hand. “You’re still smarter—”

“Ben, I swear to god,” Joe says quickly, sitting up. “No.”

Ben quickly looks away. Gwil reaches out, rubbing his hand over Ben’s shoulders, and Ben shifts a bit closer to him.

“What about Ellis Island?” Joe asks. “Did you know people who would have gone through there?”

Gwil nods. “Some, yes. My father worked with a family who left. There was another family from our church.”

“Why didn’t you guys come?” Joe asks.

“Not everybody wants to be American, Joe,” Ben says.

Rami smiles at that. “He’s right. And besides that, not everybody had the money to leave.”

“Will you become American?” Ben asks, turning to look at Rami. 

“Oh,” Rami says, glancing at Joe. “I…don’t know. Will I?” he asks.

Joe shrugs. “I…not automatically, no. But I think you could be? If you wanted.”

“Hmm,” Rami says, nodding. “And our baby?” he asks.

Joe smiles. “They will be, yeah,” he says. “Because I still am.”

“Oh, how awful for that baby,” Gwil says, and Ben smiles at that. 

“That’s interesting,” Rami says. “Well, maybe I should be then? Then we could all have matching passports.”

“Hey Joe,” Ben says, shifting a bit. “What are you going to do if the doctor holds your baby up and decides: Mets?”

Joe clutches at his chest, gasping dramatically. Rami starts to laugh loudly, playfully hitting Ben’s arm. “You shouldn't have said that!” Rami exclaims. “Now he’ll be so terrified.”

“I think it would knock him down a peg,” Gwil says, “I’d like to see it.”

“You guys— I— wow, you guys really hate me, don’t you?” Joe asks. “I mean, god, the only thing worse would be if I end up with a Red Sox fan.” He turns and pretends to gag over the boat, then sits back down. 

A man sitting a few feet away from them loudly clears his throat, and they all turn to look. He’s wearing a Red Sox hat, as is the little boy sitting on his lap, who seems blissfully unaware of the fact that Joe just insulted him.

Gwil, Rami, and Ben all turn away, trying to stifle their laughter, and Joe just winces and then gives an apologetic smile. “Whoops,” he says softly, turning back towards Rami. “Although, to be fair, I didn’t think Red Sox fans understood English.”

“Joe!” Rami exclaims, pushing at him even as he laughs. Ben has to turn to bury his face in Gwil’s shirt, his shoulders shaking.

Joe shrugs, then looks back over at them. “Hey uh, you guys going to the game tonight too?” he asks, and the man nods. “Cool, cool,” he says, nodding. “Uh…” Rami clears his throat, and Joe sighs. “Have fun," Joe says. "Good luck.”

The man leans down and whispers in his son’s ear, and the boy turns to look at Joe. “Thank you,” he says, and Joe smiles.

“That was sweet,” Rami says, kissing his cheek.

“I know,” Joe says softly. “Too bad we’re going to kill those sons of bitches.”

This time it’s Gwil who can’t control his laughter, and he brings his hand up to his face, covering his mouth. He rests his forehead on Ben’s shoulder, and just can’t stop.

\+ + + + +

When they leave Yankee Stadium later that night, Joe keeps his head down, the brim of his baseball hat pulled down to cover his face.

“I’m sorry,” Rami says, squeezing Joe’s hand. “It was a brilliant game anyway,” he says.

“We saw them win once, it’s alright that they lost,” Gwil says. “My first baseball game was still a success.”

“And this was still fun,” Ben assures him.

“Yes, exactly,” Rami says. “We had a lovely time. It’s about the four of us being together, it doesn’t matter who wins.”

“Doesn’t—” Joe looks up. “Wow. Okay. Real fan you are.”

Rami smiles, tugging Joe in for a kiss. “I love you,” he says.

Joe just shakes his head. “I’m not sure that that’s enough for me anymore,” he says, and Rami makes a face.

“Well then,” he says, “you can sleep on the floor tonight, then.”

“My heart’s too sad for sex anyway,” Joe says. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be horny again.”

“Oh my god,” Ben says, “that’ll last about five minutes.”

“You want to wager on it?” Gwil asks.

“Don’t bet on my sex life,” Rami says.

“I’ll take that bet,” Joe says, and Rami just shakes his head and rolls his eyes. 

“Why’ve you got your hat like that anyway?” Gwil asks, reaching out to flick at the brim of Joe’s hat. “Can you even see where you’re going?”

“I’m hiding from that little kid,” Joe says. “If he sees me, I’m dead.”

“You mean you’re embarrassed that you shit-talked a child,” Ben says. “Which you should be.”

“Yes Ben, I get it,” Joe says, “I’m a terrible person.” He shakes his head. “This is punishment. God’s punishing the Yankees because I made fun of a child.”

“That’ll teach you,” Ben says.

They walk towards the subway, and Joe sighs sadly, looking over at Rami. “Babe?” he asks.

“Hmm?” Rami murmurs, glancing towards him.

“I think I was wrong about never being horny again,” Joe says, “I’m sorry.”

“Oh?” Rami asks. “Your heart isn't too sad for sex anymore?”

“Oh, it’s still pretty sad,” Joe says, “but I can think of one way to make it better.” He winks at Rami.

Ben just shakes his head. “I don’t know why I’ve ever been embarrassed about anything in my life,” he says, “I…he literally says whatever comes to mind.”

“In a way,” Gwil says, nodding seriously, “Joe’s a sort of a role model.”

“Oh god,” Ben groans, “please, I— god. Don’t even tease about that sort of thing.”

Gwil just smiles and settles his arm around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him in. “What sorts of things _can_ I tease you about?” he asks, leaning in to kiss Ben.

“No, stop,” Ben says, laughing as he pulls away, “you’re just as terrible as he is.” He smiles up at Gwil, and lets him kiss him though. 

“I am sorry they lost though, guys,” Joe says, turning to look at them. “I really wanted the trip to be perfect, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Joe,” Gwil says, “it still is.”

Joe smiles and nods, turning back to Rami. “Yeah, I guess so,” he says, and Rami looks over at him, smiling back.

\+ + + + +

The next morning, they get up, get breakfast, pack their backpacks, and then walk to the car rental place a couple blocks away. Joe gets the keys to the car and they pile in, excited to visit Hyde Park.

“Don’t let Joe fool you,” Ben says softly, squeezing Gwil’s hand, “his family’s all lovely. He’s the black sheep.”

Gwil smiles, laughing as Joe protests loudly that _he’s_ the nice one.

“What sorts of road trip games should we play?” Joe asks when they’re a bit further out of the city.

“I think you’re asking the wrong crowd,” Ben says, shifting in his seat.

Joe snorts, and smiles. “Yeah, good point,” he says. “Okay, would you rather get a paper cut on your balls or on your ass?”

“How about we play the quiet game?” Ben asks quickly.

“I can make the questions sexier if you want,” Joe says, glancing at Ben in the rearview mirror. “Would you rather be able to come a _lot_ in one night, but none of them are that great, or just be able to come once a night, but it’s _amazing_.”

“Oh my god, I’m going to throw myself out of the car,” Ben murmurs. “I’m going to die in New York.”

“Just once, I think,” Rami says, looking up from his phone. “That’s fine.”

“I think so too,” Gwil says, nodding.

“Stop encouraging him,” Ben says.

“Would you rather have to give up masturbating for a year, or give up sex for two months?” Joe asks.

“Why can’t we have a normal conversation?” Ben asks.

“Well, you’re not suggesting anything,” Joe says. “If you want a normal question, ask one!”

Ben sighs, thinking. He bites his lip, then looks up. “Would you rather know how you’re going to die, or when?”

“Jesus, Ben!” Joe exclaims. “Lighten up a little.”

“I thought it was interesting,” Ben says.

“Which would you pick?” Gwil asks.

“I’d rather know when, I think,” Ben says. “It’d be less stressful.”

“Ben, you’re bringing me down, buddy,” Joe says. 

“Let me see if I can find some online,” Rami says, starting to type. He sighs, scrolling through the results, clicking on one that generates random questions. “Would you rather always get away with lying, or always know when someone’s lying?” he asks.

“Always know,” Joe says quickly.

Gwil nods.

“Same,” Ben says.

“Me too, I think,” Rami agrees, hitting the ‘random question’ button again. “Oh, this must be for you, Joe: would you rather eat only pizza for a year, or eat no pizza for a year?”

“Only,” Joe says quickly, “only. Oh my god, only! That’s so easy.”

“Okay, calm down, Joe,” Gwil says, “it’s not actually going to happen.”

“Also, you’re an adult,” Ben says, “if you want to only eat pizza, just only eat pizza.”

Rami laughs, going to the next question, then he awkwardly trails off.

“What is it?” Joe asks.

“Nothing,” Rami says, shaking his head. “It’s just a dumb question, I’ll skip to the next.”

“What is it?” Gwil asks this time.

Rami sighs, turning to glance at Gwil. “Uh, it says, would you rather go back to the past and meet your loved ones who passed away, or go to the future to meet your children or grandchildren to be?” He shifts in his seat, looking forward again. “Stupid,” he says softly, setting his phone down.

Joe swallows hard, drumming his hands on the steering wheel. None of them say anything, until the silence stretches to awkwardness, Gwil turning to look out the window, watching New York fly by.

Ben sighs, looking around at the other three. “Would you rather only be able to shag in the shower, or only shag in the car?” he asks finally, and despite themselves, the other three all smile.

“Uh, I’m gonna say car,” Joe says, nodding. 

“But where would you park?” Rami asks. “I say shower. At least you're in your own home."

“I think I’m too tall for either of them,” Gwil says, and Ben grins.

“Guess that means no more sex for you, big guy,” Joe says. 

“Does it feel weird talking about this on the way to visit Joe’s mum?” Rami asks suddenly.

“Ugh,” Joe groans. “Well, thanks, it does now!”

\+ + + + +

“Mommy!” Joe yells as soon as he’s out of the car, starting to run up the steps of the porch. “I’m home!”

“Sure, I’ll get the bags,” Rami says softly.

“Come on,” Ben says, “I’ll help.”

Gwil bounces on his feet nervously a couple times, looking around at the Mazzello house. “It’s nice here,” he says, and Rami nods.

“It’s lovely,” he says. “It’s even nicer inside.”

“Come on!” Joe calls to them from the entryway, and the other three walk up the stairs, Gwil hanging towards the back.

“Hi Ginnie,” Rami says, opening his arms to her, hugging her tightly.

“Oh, honey, look at you,” Ginnie says, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” Rami says, pulling back. “I’m so chuffed to be back.”

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Ginnie says. She smiles, looking down at Rami’s locket, reaching out to carefully touch it, and Rami smiles back at her. “And Ben! Oh my goodness, Ben.”

“Hi Mrs. Mazzello,” Ben says a bit shyly, and she smiles at him, hugging him next.

“Ginnie, please,” she says. “Oh, Ben, you look— you look so nice!”

“Oh, thank you,” Ben says, looking down.

“Not that you didn’t last time I saw you, of course,” Ginnie says, “but you just look…I don’t know, really. You look very well.”

“He looks happy, Mom,” Joe says, “it’s called happy.”

“I suppose it must be!” Ginnie says. “And that must make you Gwilym,” she says, stepping towards Gwil, opening her arms to him.

“Yes ma’am,” Gwil nods, “but just Gwil is fine.” He leans down, letting Ginnie pull him into a hug as she grins the entire time.

Ginnie pulls back, pats him on the arm a couple times, then looks over at Ben. “Lucky boy,” she says, winking.

“_Mom_!” Joe exclaims, as Ben’s eyes widen and Rami grins.

“Joe, please,” Ginnie says, “show your friends where they’ll be staying.”

“Far away from you, apparently,” Joe says, picking up his bag. 

“Lunch is ready when you come up,” Ginnie says, ignoring Joe’s comment.

Joe sighs, looking around at them. “Basement or my old room?” he asks Rami.

“Let’s take your room,” Rami says, “since we had the basement last time. I want to spend time with all your dinosaurs.” He smiles brightly.

Joe narrows his eyes at Rami, then turns to Ben. “The stairs are through there,” he says, pointing. “There’s a bathroom and everything.”

“Cheers,” Ben says, turning and walking through the kitchen, followed by Gwil.

“Come on,” Joe says, jerking his head up the stairs, starting up. “Let's go to the Love Shack.”

“Don’t call it that,” Rami says, shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

“Why not?” Joe asks. “You should have seen me in high school, all the various lovers I brought home.”

Rami finally bursts out laughing as Joe guides them into his bedroom. “Joe, that’s not true,” he says.

“What do you mean?” Joe asks, setting his bag down near the bed.

Rami looks around the room, taking it all in, baseball and dinosaurs, just like John described it. “I just don’t think that’s true, is all,” he says, setting his bag down as well, sitting on the edge of Joe’s bed. 

“You think I wasn’t cool in high school?” Joe asks, sitting down next to him.

Rami looks at Joe, and then starts to laugh again. “I don’t know if you were cool in high school or not but I don’t think you had _lovers_.” He smiles, leaning in to give Joe a quick kiss. “But maybe I’m wrong.”

Joe grabs Rami’s waist and lays back, taking Rami with him onto the mattress, smiling as Rami makes a loud noise of surprise. “Would you believe me if I said that I brought _one_ girl back here, and John walked in right as I was trying to kiss her?”

Rami snorts, nodding. “That sounds more like it,” he says, curling against Joe, resting his hand on his chest.

“He didn’t let me live it down for weeks,” Joe says, slowly running his fingers over Rami’s arm, looking up at the ceiling.

“I believe that too,” Rami says. He looks at Joe, then smiles. “I think if you brought it up today he still wouldn’t let you live it down.”

“Don’t you dare,” Joe says, leaning in to playfully nip at Rami’s bottom lip. “I think my family finally thinks I’m not a _total_ loser.”

“Well, you have me to thank for that,” Rami says, and Joe grins.

“Oh trust me,” he says, “I know it.”

Rami kisses him again and then pushes himself up, looking around the room. There are no family photos or personal mementos, all of that was taken to London with Joe when he moved, but the walls still have movie posters hanging up, movies that Rami’s never heard of. There’s also a bulletin board filled with news clippings, and Rami pushes himself up to get a better look at them, seeing that they mostly have to do with local baseball. Rami stands up and walks over to the window, looking into the yard. “It’s so pretty here,” he says softly.

“Yeah,” Joe nods, stretching out on the bed, “it’s great.”

Rami looks around for a moment longer, and then walks back over to Joe, sitting down next to him, then smiling and lifting his leg to settle on Joe’s lap.

“Oh, hello,” Joe says, his hands immediately going to Rami’s hips, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Rami smiles and leans down, cupping Joe’s face in his hands, guiding him into a kiss.

“If John walks in right now I’m going to kill him,” Joe mutters, leaning up to kiss Rami again, his hands moving from Rami’s hips to his ass, pulling Rami in closer to him, deepening the kiss.

“I love you,” Rami says against his mouth, and Joe nods, moving one hand to the back of Rami’s head, pushing through his hair. They kiss until they lose track of time, moving against each other, making quiet noises that still sound loud in the empty room.

Joe’s fingers curl into Rami, and then a beat later he hears a familiar creaking on the staircase and immediately pushes Rami off him, rolling off the bed and hurrying away.

When Ginnie sticks her head in the room, she sees Joe looking out the window, hands on his hips, and Rami sitting on the bed, still breathing heavily, giving her an awkward smile. “Lunch, Joe,” she says.

“Oh, hi Mom!” Joe says, turning around. “Yeah, lunch! Great. Come on Rami, let’s eat.” He holds his hand out to Rami who takes it, and leads him past Ginnie, giving her a big grin as he goes. When they’re on the stairs, he reaches down to discretely adjust himself, and turns, walking into the dining room, where Ben and Gwil are already sitting, drinks and food in front of them. “Find everything alright?” he asks, sitting down at the table across from Ben.

“It’s lovely, thank you,” Gwil says, looking over at Ginnie, who takes her seat at the head of the table.

“My pleasure,” Ginnie says, “I’m so happy to finally have you both here. Gwil, it’s an honour to meet you.”

“Oh, I…thank you,” Gwil says, nodding. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

“And Ben, of course, after so long,” Ginnie says.

“Thank you, I’m happy to be here,” Ben says.

Rami looks around, waiting a couple moments, before leaning in towards Joe. “Do we say grace again?” he asks softly.

Joe smiles and shakes his head, “just family dinners. Tonight, definitely. Dig in, babe.”

“Okay,” Rami says, sitting back, picking up his fork.

They sit and eat, all of them complimenting Ginnie on the food, and catching her up on wedding planning, and telling her about what they’d seen in New York so far, showing her the photos on their phones.

While they’re eating dessert, a cinnamon apple cake that Ginnie made, they hear a car pull up into the driveway, and Joe immediately pushes his chair back, hurrying to the front door. 

The others all look at each other and stand up, all hovering at the entrance to the kitchen, watching as the front door opens.

“Hi,” Mary says softly, walking in first, followed by her husband, leaning up to give Joe a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, he’s sleeping,” Joe says, looking at Matthew, curled up in Mary’s arms.

“He fell asleep on the drive,” Mary says, “I’m going to go put him down for a nap.”

“No, wake him up for me,” Joe says, whining playfully, and Mary smiles, looking over at the others standing nearby.

“Hi,” she says, giving them a bit of wave. “I’ll be right back down.”

Joe pulls his brother-in-law in for a hug, and then waves everybody over. “You know Rami, of course,” he says, “this is Ben, my best friend, and this is Gwil, my other best friend.”

Rami grins at Gwil, surely thinking of every time almost a year ago when he wasn’t sure Joe and Gwil would even be able to stand being in a room with each other.

Mary comes back downstairs, without Matthew, smiling. “Hi Rami,” she says, pulling him into a hug. “How’ve you been? I missed you!”

“Hi Mary,” Rami says, “how are you?”

“I’m great,” she says. “Hi Mom.”

“Hi dear,” Ginnie says, hugging her and kissing her cheek. “You look lovely.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Mary says. “Hi Ben.”

“Hi Mary,” Ben says. He gives her a quick hug and then steps back, turning towards Gwil. “This is my boyfriend, Gwil,” he says, a bit awkwardly, cheeks red.

“Hi, Mary,” Gwil says, offering her his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Mary smiles and nods. “I’m so happy you could finally make it. New York! What do you think?” she asks.

“It’s lovely,” Gwil says, nodding.

“Everyone sit down in the living room,” Ginnie says, “and we can catch up. Do you drink coffee, or tea?”

“I’ll help, Mom,” Joe says, “I know what they drink.” He follows her back into the kitchen, and the rest of them go into the living room, sitting down.

Gwil sits on the sofa, and Rami sits next to him. Ben sits down on the arm of the sofa, smiling down at him.

“What’d you think about the Yankees?” Mary asks.

“They’re brilliant,” Gwil says. “I, Joe’s made me a fan, certainly.”

“Have you been to Broadway yet?” Mary asks. “Do you like theatre?”

“We saw _Funny Girl_,” Rami says, “we really enjoyed it.”

“Oh, good,” Mary says, “that’s a good one. We watched the movie so many times when we were kids. I love Barbra Streisand.”

“Gwil’s actually a fan of Fanny Brice,” Ben says, and Gwil nods, but immediately feels a bit awkward, shifting in his seat.

“Oh really?” Mary asks. “That’s so—” She smiles, blinking a couple times.

“Odd,” Gwil says, “that’s alright.”

“No!” Mary says quickly. “No, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.” 

Gwil doesn’t say anything, just swallows hard, and leans a bit closer to Ben. “Sorry,” he says after a moment.

Rami looks at Gwil, giving him a smile, then turns back to Mary and her husband. “How are things here? With work and all that?”

They keep talking, and Gwil sighs, looking up at Ben. “That went terribly,” he says softly, “she probably thinks I’m an idiot now.”

Ben shakes his head, reaching down to take Gwil’s hand. “Joe’s her little brother, I think she’s got a high tolerance for idiots.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss Gwil’s forehead. “I shouldn’t have said anything about Fanny Brice. I’m sorry.”

Gwil shakes his head, sighing. After a couple minutes, Joe and Ginnie come in, bringing drinks, and the rest of their cake, plus slices for Mary and her husband.

“Did you guys catch the game last night?” Joe asks.

“Were you there?” Mary asks. “Heard your boys blew it.”

“Motherfuckers,” Joe mutters.

“Joe!” Ginnie exclaims, and Ben snorts.

“Sounds like Rami when he’s annoyed with you,” he says, and Joe glares at him.

“We went on Monday though,” Rami says, “and they won. It was brilliant.”

“It was better in-person than on the tele, that’s for sure,” Ben says. “Even I liked it.”

“We did Top of the Rock,” Rami says, “and saw the Statue of Liberty. Joe showed me Cleopatra’s Needle in Central Park.”

“Well well, my little brother the tour guide,” Mary says. 

“Maybe I should start to charge,” Joe says.

“The IIS paying that poorly?”

“I got me a sugar daddy now anyway,” Joe says, winking over at Rami. 

They sit around, drinking their coffees and teas, and turning on the television to watch ESPN, and awhile later, while Ben and Joe are looking at photos on the wall, and Gwil and Rami are quietly talking, Mary looks up.

“Mommy!” they all hear from upstairs, and Mary smiles. “Where are you?”

“I’ll get him,” her husband says, heading up the stairs, coming back down a moment later with Matthew in his arms.

“There’s my guy,” Joe says, walking over to them immediately. “Remember me?”

Matthew nods. “I know,” he says. 

“Yeah?” Joe asks. “I miss you when I’m gone, Matty,” he says.

“Miss you too,” Matthew says. He starts shifting in his father’s arms, until he puts him down. Matthew walks over to Mary and looks up at her, and she smiles at him.

“Did you sleep well?” she asks, and he nods, then walks over to Ginnie.

“My lovely boy,” she says, reaching down to push his hair back from his forehead. “I’m so happy to see you. Joe’s brought his friends. You remember Rami?” she asks, and Matthew nods, walking over to the sofa.

“Hi,” he says to Rami, but when he looks at Gwil, he has a shy look on his face.

“Gwil, this is Matthew,” Rami says, “Mary’s son. Matthew, this is Gwil, my best mate.”

“Hi,” Matthew says softly, smiling at him.

“Hello, Matthew,” Gwil says, reaching his hand out to him.

Matthew looks at his hand and giggles, then slaps his palm against Gwil’s.

Gwil laughs softly, and glances over at Ben, who’s watching them both with a smile on his face.

“Matthew, Gwil went to space too,” Rami says. “He’s an astronaut like me.”

“My mommy’s a lawyer,” Matthew says, mispronouncing ‘lawyer’.

“See that bloke over there?” Gwil asks, leaning forward, pointing to Ben. “So is he.”

“I was never a lawyer,” Ben says, and Gwil and Rami smile, looking at each other.

“He’s a lawyer,” Gwil says, and Rami nods. “And what do you do, Matthew?”

“What do you mean?” Matthew asks, blinking his wide eyes up at Gwil.

“Do you have a job?” Gwil asks. “You seem old enough for it. What are you, twenty years old? Forty?”

Matthew shrieks with laughter, shaking his head. “I can count to twenty!” he proclaims.

“Can you really?” Gwil asks. “That’s fantastic!”

Matthew takes a deep breath, and then starts counting, sticking his fingers up as he goes. When he gets to ten, he gets a bit confused with what to do with his hands and just leaves them both up. When he finishes, Gwil claps his hands a couple times.

“Absolutely brilliant, Matthew,” Gwil says seriously, nodding. 

Matthew steps a bit closer to Gwil, standing between his legs, briefly resting his hands on Gwil’s knees. He reaches up to Gwil’s face, and Gwil leans down a bit so that Matthew can reach a bit better. “Glasses,” he says softly.

“Oh, Matthew,” Mary says suddenly, looking over at them, “please ask, sweetie, don’t just take.”

Matthew blinks a couple times and puts his hand back down.

Gwil smiles and reaches up, taking his glasses off, handing them to Matthew. “Here you are,” he says.

“Thank you,” Matthew says, turning them over a couple times, smearing fingerprints on the lenses, before putting them on. Or trying to, except they’re too big and won’t stay on his face. He laughs loudly each time they slip off, and Gwil leans forward, closing the arms a bit so that they balance on Matthew’s ears.

“Oh, look at that,” Gwil says, sitting back a bit.

“Hey, who’s that?” Joe asks. “Who’s this kid?”

Matthew turns and looks at Joe, taking a couple steps towards him. “It’s me,” he says.

“Me who?” Joe asks.

“I’m Matthew,” he says.

“No way,” Joe says, shaking his head. “Matthew doesn’t wear glasses, who are you?”

“It’s _me_!” Matthew exclaims. 

“I don’t believe it,” Joe says. “Sorry, I just don’t.”

“He gave me them,” Matthew says, pointing at Gwil.

“Who did?” Joe asks. “Gwil gave you his glasses?” Matthew nods. “Well, he must really like you then.” Matthew nods again. Joe reaches down, picking Matthew up, holding him on his hip. “Did Rami tell you Gwil went to space too?” Matthew nods. “Did he tell you what Gwil studies?” Matthew shakes his head, looking over at Gwil. “Ask him.”

“What do you…” Matthew looks back at Joe.

“Study,” Joe repeats.

“Study,” Matthew says.

Gwil smiles. “I study flowers,” he says, “and all sorts of plants, like fruits and vegetables and trees.”

“Flowers?” Matthew asks. Gwil nods. “Pretty.”

“Yes, they are,” Gwil says. “Your Uncle Joe took me to Central Park so that I could see the flowers there, they were really lovely.”

“Can I show you,” Matthew says, starting to wiggle in Joe’s arms.

“Just a second,” Joe says, first taking Gwil’s glasses off Matthew’s face, then putting him back down on the floor.

“Outside. Mommy! Outside please?” Matthew asks.

“Oh, what did you need that’s outside?” Mary asks.

“Flowers,” Matthew says. “Can I see?”

Mary looks over at Gwil, who gives her a smile, and she smiles back. “Yes, of course,” she says, “but you have to be good and you don’t run away, okay? You stay with Gwil and do what he says.”

“Okay,” Matthew says. Gwil pushes himself up off the sofa and Matthew looks up at him. “Big,” he says softly. He lifts his arms up and Gwil immediately leans down, picking Matthew up. “You’re big,” he says again, looking around, reaching up towards the ceiling. “Mommy, look how big I am!”

“Yes, he’s very tall and you’re very high up,” Mary says, “so be careful.”

“Okay,” Matthew says, dropping his hands again to clutch at Gwil’s shirt. “Outside please?” he asks.

“Yes,” Gwil says, “you’ll have to show me the way. Where are we going?”

“There,” Matthew says, pointing towards the door.

“Alright then,” Gwil says. He glances over at the other three, smiling. “Any takers?” he asks. “I might be giving a bit of a lesson today.”

“Hmm, I think I’ve heard enough about flowers to last me awhile,” Joe says, “but Ben? Don’t you want to hear your boyfriend talk about flowers with Matthew?”

“Yes, of course,” Ben says, handing his drink to Joe, following out after Gwil and Matthew, walking down the steps of the porch. 

“Here!” Matthew says, pointing at a small garden on the front lawn. “See? A garden.”

“I do,” Gwil says, and he glances back at Ben, who’s smiling up at him. “What’ve we got?” he asks, crouching down in front of the flowers, keeping Matthew in his arms.

“Yellow,” Matthew says.

“Those are daisies,” Gwil says. “Do you like daisies?”

“I do,” Ben says, sitting down next Gwil on the grass, and Gwil smiles over at him.

“Do you?” Gwil asks. “Well, what do you like, Matthew? Which ones?”

“The blue,” Matthew says softly, and then he brings his thumb up to his mouth.

“These ones?” Gwil asks, pointing to a small bunch of flowers, and Matthew nods. “Do you know what they’re called?”

“No,” Matthew says.

“Ben?” Gwil asks, and Ben snorts.

“Uh…” Ben shakes his head a bit, “those would be…bluebells?” he asks, giving Gwil a hopeful smile.

“Uh, I can see why you’d think that, and good guess,” Gwil says, and Ben smiles, “but no. Those are forget-me-nots.”

Matthew repeats it, stumbling over the entire name, and Gwil chuckles softly.

“Do you ever help Nanny with the flowers, Matthew?” Ben asks.

Matthew nods, and then wiggles a bit on Gwil’s lap, and points over towards the side of the house. “Can I see?” he asks.

Gwil lets go of Matthew and then immediately stands up, ready to dart after him in case he heads towards the driveway or the road, but he just walks over to the corner of the house and reaches down to pick something up, and walks back over, holding a small plastic watering can.

“Oh, what’s that for?” Ben asks.

“I water it,” Matthew says, tipping the empty can near the flowers, playing at watering them. “Nanny showed me.”

“What’s the water for?” Gwil asks, sitting back down.

“They drink it,” Matthew says.

“Oh, really?” Gwil says. “They drink water like you do? What do they eat?”

Matthew turns and looks at Gwil, and then looks to Ben. “I don’t know,” he says quietly. He scrunches his face up and looks at the flowers, running his hands over them. “What?” he asks.

“Ben?” Gwil asks. “Do you know?”

“I do, actually, surprise surprise,” Ben says. “I remember it from school. Should I tell you?” he asks. Matthew nods, and Ben holds his hand out to Matthew, who drops the watering can and takes it, letting Ben pull him onto his lap. Ben points up at the sky, and Matthew looks up. 

“What?” Matthew asks.

“The sun,” Ben says. “So, the sun shines on the plants, and gives them energy. And then the plants drink the water you and Nanny give them, and they breathe like we do, and it turns to food.”

Matthew doesn’t say anything, probably not really understanding a word that Ben said, so he just looks at the flowers, nodding and kicking his feet.

Ben smiles proudly over at Gwil though, and then Gwil leans in, giving him a kiss.

“And you said you were rubbish at science,” Gwil says.

Ben laughs. “Well, I peaked in primary school, then,” he says.

“Never,” Gwil says, “you’ve still got awhile before you peak, I’d say.”

“Oh, cheers,” Ben says, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” Gwil says, “I peaked over a hundred years ago, so you’ve got me beat.”

“Oh, stop it,” Ben says. He looks down at Matthew, smiling, and then playfully ruffles his hair.

“Hey!” Matthew says. “That’s my head, why you do that?”

“I’m sorry,” Ben says, “I thought it would just be fun. I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” Matthew says, distracting himself by looking at Ben’s ring.

“Do you want to go back in and play now?” Ben asks. 

“Can I stay outside?” Matthew asks, looking around.

“What do you usually do outside?” Gwil asks.

“Play with Leah and Noah,” Matthew says.

“Leah and Noah aren’t here yet though, Matty,” Ben says.

“Will you play with me?” Matthew asks, looking up at Ben.

“Of course,” Ben says, smiling. “What do you want to play?” 

Matthew looks at Gwil. “Will you play too?” he asks.

“I’d love to,” Gwil says, “thank you for asking.”

“Okay,” Matthew says, climbing off Ben’s lap. “Can Rami play too?” he asks.

“I think so,” Gwil says, standing up, “why don’t we go ask?”

“Okay,” Matthew says again, taking Gwil’s hand, starting to walk towards the door. “Mommy!” he yells, slowly taking the stairs.

Mary’s at the door a couple of moments later, looking outside. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“Mommy, can Rami come outside?” Matthew asks, grabbing onto her leg, peering into the house.

“Well, he can,” Mary says, flattening Matthew’s hair, “but I think you’ll have to invite Uncle Joe to play too, okay?”

“Okay,” Matthew says.

“Okay, good,” Mary says, “play nice.”

Matthew nods, watching Rami and Joe come to the door, smiling up at Joe. He lifts his arms up and Joe leans down, picking him up. 

“What do you want to play?” Joe asks, walking down the stairs.

“Can we play ocean?” Matthew asks.

“What’s ocean?” Rami asks, handing Gwil’s glasses back to him, having wiped the lenses clean in the house.

“Oh, come on, Rami,” Joe says, rolling his eyes, “it’s only the coolest game ever, right Matty?”

“Yeah,” Matthew says, nodding eagerly.

“How do you play?” Gwil asks.

“Where’s the ocean, Matty?” Joe asks.

“In the back,” Matthew says.

“Wow, there’s an ocean back there?” Ben asks.

They walk into the backyard and Joe leans down, letting Matthew out of his arms, and he immediately begins running around. 

“Now what?” Gwil asks quietly.

Joe shrugs. “I have no idea, I don’t know what ocean is,” he says quietly. “Just do whatever he tells you.”

Gwil smiles. “Sounds like playing with my nephews,” he says quietly. “Alright, Matthew, where do you want me?” he asks loudly.

Matthew runs towards him, shrieking, and knocks himself into Gwil’s legs.

“Are you alright?” Gwil asks, looking down.

“Get down,” Matthew says, pushing at Gwil’s legs again.

“Hey, say please, Matthew,” Joe says.

“Sorry,” Matthew says, stopping his pushing, “please?”

“Okay, okay,” Gwil says, sitting down on the grass, and then Matthew pushes at his shoulders until Gwil shifts, laying down. “Now what?” he asks.

Matthew climbs onto Gwil’s stomach, making him grunt in surprise, and then sits on his chest.

“Brilliant,” Ben says.

“This looks like a game you guys play at home,” Joe says, smirking at Ben, earning a playful push from him. “What does Gwil do now, Matty?”

Matthew looks around, thinking then climbs off Gwil. “You’re the wrong way,” he says softly, taking Gwil’s hand, tugging on his arm. “Roll over, please.” Gwil rolls over onto his stomach, and then Matthew climbs onto his back. “He’s a boat,” Matthew says, looking up at Joe.

“He is?” Joe asks. “And you’re on the boat?” Matthew nods. “In the ocean?” Matthew nods again, and Joe reaches out with his leg, lightly kicking at Gwil. “Come on, boat, start boating.”

Gwil looks up at Joe, and then sighs, slowly pushing himself up onto his hands and knees, Matthew wavering a bit on top of him, but Rami reaches out to make sure he doesn’t tumble off. “All aboard!” he calls, and the other three start to laugh.

“You’re a boat, Gwil, not a train,” Rami says.

“Now this is _definitely_ like what you guys do at home,” Joe says, and Ben pushes him again, and Joe just shrugs it off, laughing. “Alright, Matty, what now?” he asks, watching Gwil start to slowly crawl around the backyard, followed by Rami, hands outstretched and ready to catch Matthew. “Are we boats too?”

“No!” Matthew yells.

“Well, sorry,” Joe mutters, “that I don’t know the rules to this made-up game.”

“If he’s on a boat in the ocean, maybe we’re fish?” Ben asks. “Matthew, are we fish?”

“Yes!” Matthew says.

“Okay, fun,” Ben says. He looks at Joe. “How do we play fish?”

“Uh…” Joe looks around and then shrugs. “I…don’t know?” He shakes his head, then drops to the ground, starting to crawl around as well. “Matthew,” he says, making his voice waver like he’s underwater, “I’m a whale,” he says.

Matthew giggles, looking at Joe crawl behind Gwil.

Ben sighs and looks around, starting to wiggle his arms. “I’m an octopus,” he says, staying a few feet away from them before he suddenly runs over, grabbing Matthew in his arms and running away.

“Oh no, the octopus got Matthew!” Rami says. “I’ll have to drive my boat after them!”

“Don’t you dare,” Gwil says, immediately straightening up.

Rami laughs loudly, and then walks over to Joe, who’s still slowly crawling around on the grass. “Maybe I’ll have to ride my whale instead then,” he says, and Joe smirks up at him.

“That sounds more like it,” he says, pushing himself up, and wrapping his arms around Rami, picking him up.

“While you two are flirting, that octopus is eating your nephew,” Gwil says, pointing across the lawn where Matthew is sitting on Ben’s shoulders, shrieking as Ben runs around.

“Let’s save him!” Joe says, starting to run, or at least move as fast as he can while he’s still holding onto Rami, eventually having to let him back down.

The five of them are still running around the backyard when a car pulls up in the driveway, and a few moments later they hear Leah and Noah calling out.

“Who’s that?” Joe asks, turning towards the sound. “Matthew, are Leah and Noah here now?”

Ben starts walking towards the house, Matthew still on his shoulders, Matthew’s hands digging into his hair, followed by the other three.

“Hi!” Matthew says loudly, letting go of Ben to wave eagerly at the other children.

“I want up, I want up too!” Noah says, starting to jump up and down.

“C’me here, slugger,” Joe says, leaning down to pick Noah up, quickly settling him on his shoulders as well.

“Hi Rami,” John says, walking over to him, pulling him into a hug.

“Hi,” Rami says, pulling back with a big smile on his face. “John, this is my best mate, Gwil,” he says.

“Hello,” Gwil says, offering his hand to John.

“Pleasure,” John says, “we’ve heard a lot about you.”

Gwil smiles, looking a bit uneasy. “I’d say good things, hopefully, but…I’m not exactly sure.”

“Don’t worry,” Joe says, “it’s mostly good. These days anyway,” he winks. “This is Noah,” he says, “and this down here is Leah.”

“Hello,” Gwil says, crouching down in front of her, “lovely to meet you, Leah. Your uncle’s always telling me about you.”

“Where are you from?” Leah asks.

“I’m from the UK,” Gwil says, “all over the place, really.”

“What’s the UK?” Leah asks.

“The United Kingdom,” Gwil says.

“It’s a kingdom?” Leah asks. “Are there princesses?”

Gwil smiles and nods. “There are, yes. Do you like princesses?” he asks.

Leah shrugs. “Some of them,” she says. “Do you like princesses?”

Gwil looks over at Ben, who’s catching up with John, and smiles. “Actually, I like princes,” he says.

Joe snorts at that, obviously having heard. “Gwil, that was terrible,” he says.

“What’s your name?” Leah asks.

“My name is Gwilym,” Gwil says, and Leah cocks her head to the side a bit.

“That’s a weird name,” she says, and John immediately looks over.

“Leah, that’s not very nice,” he says, “we don’t make fun of other people.”

“I’m sorry,” Leah says softly.

“It’s alright, I forgive you,” Gwil says, smiling at her. “It’s Welsh, do you know what that means?” Leah shakes her head. “Wales is a country, it’s where my parents are from. Do you know any little boys named William?” Leah nods. “My name is just like their name, except in a different language. And sometimes they go by Will, and I go by Gwil.”

“Gwil,” Leah echoes, and Gwil nods. “That’s Noah, he’s my brother.”

Gwil nods. “That’s Ben, he’s my…” He stops, looking up at John, who just gives him a quick but encouraging smile. “He’s my boyfriend.”

“I don’t want a boyfriend,” Leah says, shaking her head.

“Good, you’re far too young,” Gwil says quickly. “And you don’t need one. If you don’t want one, don’t bother.”

“We’re playing ocean,” Matthew says.

“Why don’t we all go in for a bit though, Matty,” Joe says, “so that Nanny can see Noah and Leah, okay?”

“Okay,” Matthew says, looking down. “Can I stay up here?” he asks.

“Uh, sure thing,” Ben says, “but you have to hold on though, and be safe, and if your mum says no, you’ll have to get down, okay?”

“Okay,” Matthew agrees.

“This is so exciting, guys!” Joe says, squeezing Noah’s legs. “Come on, let’s go in, maybe Nanny has treats! Let’s go!”

Leah turns and runs ahead of the rest of them. Gwil straightens up and smiles over at Rami as they all start moving into the house.

“They’re sweet, aren’t they?” Rami asks, and Gwil nods.

“They are,” he agrees. “They uh, they remind me of my nieces and nephews,” Gwil says quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Rami says, touching Gwil’s arm, but Gwil just shakes his head.

“No, don’t be, it’s lovely,” Gwil says. “I…I try not to think about them most times, but…I really miss them.” He shakes his head a bit. “I’ll uh, I’ll be in in a minute,” he says, stopping at the bottom of the porch.

“Do you want me to stay?” Rami asks

“No, go in,” Gwil says, “they all want to spend time with their future Uncle Rami.”

“Gwil,” Rami says, “you don’t have to be alone.”

“No, of course not,” Gwil says, “just a moment, that’s all. I’m fine.” He gives him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Rami says, and Gwil nods. Rami follows the rest of them into the house, and Gwil takes a deep breath, looking around the front lawn. He sighs, seeing Matthew’s watering can, and walks over, picking it up and putting it back where Matthew had taken it from. When he turns back around, he sees Ben standing there, alone.

“Hi love,” Gwil says, walking over to him. “I was just tidying up.”

“You were brooding,” Ben says, wrapping his arms around Gwil’s waist. “Thought I’d leave you alone out here to be sad?” He smiles and leans up, giving Gwil a quick kiss. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s…” Gwil shakes his head. “I think Matthew might be my new favourite person, honestly. He reminds me of…” He trails off, swallowing hard.

“You never talk about them,” Ben says. “I’m not even sure I know all their names.”

“He reminds me of Sieffre,” Gwil says,

“Sieffre,” Ben repeats slowly, and Gwil smiles.

“Welsh form of Geoffrey,” he explains.

“Ah,” Ben nods. “And whose son was he?” he asks.

“Owain’s,” Gwil says. He bites down on his lip, and lets out a deep breath. “I think I made a mistake, love,” he says.

Ben frowns. “What do you mean?” he asks.

Gwil swallows hard, and shakes his head a bit. “I…not seeing them, I…they probably hear about me on the news and read about the IIS and they know who I am, and they know my name, and they think I don’t care, or that I— that I abandoned them, and I— that’s not why I didn’t want to meet them, I—”

“It’s alright,” Ben says, rubbing Gwil’s back, “it’s alright. You can still meet them. They’re still here.”

“But it’s been over a year,” Gwil says, “they must think I’m so selfish, or so—” He shakes his head. “So stupid.”

“Maybe they think you’re scared,” Ben says, “and they understand, because they’re your family and they love you.” He smiles, and gives him another kiss. “You don’t have to decide now, we can’t do much from here anyway.”

Gwil nods. “Would— I don’t know yet,” he says. “But would you come?”

“Of course I would,” Ben says. “We all would, if you wanted. You know that, you don’t even have to ask.”

“I just miss them all so much,” Gwil says, and Ben nods, pulling him into a hug. “And I know— Joe lost his father, and Rami, and you—”

“I don’t count,” Ben says.

“Ben,” Gwil says, and Ben shakes his head.

“Not that like, I don’t,” Ben says.

Gwil sighs, giving in this time. “Anyway, I just mean, I know I’m not the only one who’s lost someone.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t be sad,” Ben says. “One person is allowed to be sad on the entire planet, and that’s it? Bullshit.”

Gwil starts laughing in surprise. “Well, I— when you put it like that.”

Ben smiles at him. “I’m not going to lie, Gwil, I’ve always wondered if you were going to meet your family. I’d like to meet them too. And I know Rami would absolutely love it. And yes, it’s been a year, but it’s also been _only_ a year.”

“Rami met Nelly right away,” Gwil says.

“Yes, and I’ve come to realize that Rami moves at his own pace,” Ben says. “Which, at times, is quite a quick one.” Gwil laughs. “So let’s not judge ourselves against him. Now, do you want to go in and play…whatever game those three have come up with?”

“Oh yes, my lovely octopus,” Gwil says, and Ben rolls his eyes as Gwil pulls him in.

“Stop it,” Ben says, and he laughs loudly as Gwil starts to tickle him. “Stop it!” He pulls away and runs up to the house, throwing open the door and running into the living room. “Matthew, protect me!” he exclaims.

“What?” Matthew asks, hurrying over to him.

“Gwil’s chasing me,” Ben says, crouching down in front of him. “Can you save me?” he asks.

“Okay,” Matthew says, and Ben moves to crouch behind him.

“Where’s Ben?” Gwil asks, looking around. “Have you seen him? Blond chap, pretty green eyes?”

Noah, who’s sitting on John’s lap, sippy cup in hand, points towards Matthew. John immediately laughs. “Well, remind me not to tell you where the valuables are.”

Gwil walks over to Matthew, and crouches down in front of him. “Matthew,” he says, “do you know where Ben is?” he asks. Matthew shakes his head. “No?”

“No,” Matthew says.

“Are you sure?” Gwil asks.

“Sure,” Matthew says.

“Is he behind you?” Gwil asks.

“Don’t tell him,” Ben whispers.

“No, I don’t know,” Matthew says.

“Well, alright,” Gwil says, standing up. “Where could he be then, hmm…” He puts his hands on his hips, looking around, and then he quickly reaches down, picking Matthew up. “There he is!” he exclaims, pointing at Ben. “Did you see him there?”

“No!” Matthew says.

“Run!” Leah shouts, jumping off her mother’s lap, and Ben pushes himself up, darting by Gwil and Matthew.

“Do you want to play?” John asks Noah, taking his cup from him, and Noah nods. “Let’s go then,” John says, standing up.

“Please do not break anything!” Ginnie calls after them. 

“Do you want to play?” Rami asks Leah, and Leah nods eagerly, taking Rami’s hand. He leads her outside, followed by Joe, and they look around, watching Ben running around the lawn, followed by Gwil and Matthew, who are followed by John and Noah.

“Whose side are we on?” Joe asks, looking around.

“Ben’s!” Leah says eagerly, and she lets go of Rami’s hand to run towards him.

“Good choice,” Joe says, nodding, starting to run after them all, not in any pattern, just all over the lawn.

Gwil whispers in Matthew’s ear and then sets him down, watching him start to run after Ben.

“Oh no!” Ben exclaims, starting to laugh.

“Run, Ben!” Joe yells, hurrying after Matthew to pick him up. “Leave Ben alone!”

“Yeah, leave Ben alone!” Leah yells, and Gwil laughs, pausing for a moment to catch his breath. 

“Whose side are you on?” Rami asks, walking over to John and Noah.

John shrugs. “Noah, whose side are we on?” he asks.

“Me!” Noah yells.

“I didn’t know that was an option,” John says, “but okay.”

Rami smiles, watching as Joe drops to the ground, letting Matthew crawl all over him. 

“Go get Uncle Joe,” John says, leaning down to carefully let Noah out of his arms, “go get him.”

“Okay,” Noah says, hurrying over, jumping onto Joe’s legs.

“They’re sweet,” Rami says. 

John smiles, nodding. “Yeah, they’re great,” he says. “I can’t wait to have a little niece or nephew on your side,” he says, nudging Rami, and Rami beams at him.

“Oh no, Leah, stop him!” Ben yells, trying to dart away one last time, but Gwil gets his arms around his waist, pulling him in.

“Got you!” Gwil yells, and Ben laughs loudly.

“No, leave him alone,” Leah says, trying to tug at Gwil’s arms. 

“Why should I?” Gwil asks.

“He’s a prince,” Leah says.

“Am I?” Ben asks in surprise.

“And are you a princess then?” Gwil asks.

Leah shakes her head. “I’m the dragon!” she yells, roaring.

“I wanna be a dragon too!” Matthew says, rolling off of Joe, running over.

“Me too!” Noah says, following after his cousin. 

“There are so many dragons,” Gwil says, looking around. “And you’re all protecting Ben?”

Ben smirks, and pulls away from him, sitting down on the grass, letting the kids run around him. “I’m a prince,” he says cheerfully. “Joe, did you hear? I’m a prince!”

“I always knew it,” Joe says. “Get back, Gwil, he’s a prince!”

“What does that make me then?” Gwil asks.

“You’re evil,” Leah says.

“Dragons are evil,” Gwil says.

“No, we’re good dragons,” Leah says. “We’re saving him from you.”

Gwil looks over at Joe, who’s smirking. “Heard that before,” he says softly.

“They know you so well, Gwil,” Joe says, clapping Gwil on the back.

Gwil laughs softly. “You’re really not going to help me?” he asks. “That’s my prince!”

“Daddy!” Noah yells from where he’s sitting on Ben’s lap. “I’m a dragon!”

“I see you!” John hollers. “Good job!”

“I suppose I should be nice and help Gwil,” Rami says, surveying the scene. “He seems pretty desperate to get Ben back.”

John laughs, nodding. “Joe…well, Joe’s a gossip,” he says, and Rami grins, snorting. “They’re good?” he asks.

“They’re great,” Rami says. “They’re— it’s been over six months now, and…yes, they’re alright now.”

“Good,” John says. “I know Joe was worried for awhile. And I know I don't know Ben as well as you guys, but…well. Still.” He smiles at Rami. “And you? Any plans for your anniversary?” he asks.

“Joe does, but he won’t tell me what they are,” Rami says. “But I’ve got one of my own.”

“Oh, really?” John asks. “Can I get a hint?” he asks.

Rami smiles, and shakes his head. “It’s a surprise.”

“Are you pregnant?” John asks, and Rami laughs. “No, I don’t blame you. Whatever it was, I’d have to tell him right away. Can’t keep secrets from my big brother, after all.” He watches Joe and Gwil start to play-fight, and he smiles. “Of course, in a year-and-a-half, you’ll be my brother too.”

Rami looks over at John, swallows hard, and then nods. “Thank you,” he says softly. “I appreciate that.”

“Of course,” John says, patting Rami on the arm a couple times. “Though…it seems we’re on different sides of this battle.”

Rami looks at him, frowning. “Sorry?” he asks.

John winks at him and then gives him a playful push, before running over to help Joe.

Rami watches for another moment, before hurrying over. He goes to Ben, who’s got Noah on his lap, Matthew sitting beside him, and Leah stomping around.

“Are you good or bad?” Leah asks.

“Oh, I’m very good,” Rami assures her, nodding. “Promise.”

“Okay,” Leah asks.

Rami smiles and then sits down next to Ben. 

“I’m a prince,” Ben says, ruffling Noah’s hair.

“I heard,” Rami says. He looks around. “Sadly…I’m evil.”

Ben gasps loudly, and Rami laughs, playfully tackling Ben to the ground, careful of Noah.

“Yes, good job, Rami!” Gwil calls.

“No!” Leah exclaims.

“I’ve got him, I’ve got Ben!” Rami shouts. “We win!”

“How _dare_ you betray me?” Ben asks, looking up at him.

Rami smiles. “It’s fun!” he says, and Ben laughs.

“That’s all it takes?” he asks. “It’s _fun_?” Rami shrugs. “Well, alright then,” Ben says, settling on the grass. “Take me away to your dungeon or whatever it is.” He stretches out a bit. “Quite comfy here.”

Rami smiles, snuggling against him. “It is, isn’t it?” 

Ben looks over at Rami. “Too bad we can’t stay longer, isn’t it.”

Rami sighs, nodding. “It is, yeah.” He lifts his head a bit, looking around. “I love his family so much.”

Ben nods, wrapping his arm around Noah, who’s curled against his other side. “I know you’re going to uni in London, but…it’s only a year, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Rami asks.

“I mean, New York’s not going anywhere,” Ben says. “And there’s the IIS here too.” He smiles faintly. “Of course, I know your family’s back home.”

Rami opens his mouth to answer, and then he grunts in surprise when Matthew drops onto his stomach.

“Are you sleeping?” Matthew asks, picking up Rami’s necklace.

“No, we’re talking,” Rami says.

“About what?” Matthew asks, reaching out to run his fingers over Rami’s face.

“About you,” Rami says, “and how much I like you. Do you like me too?” Matthew nods. “Good, thank you,” Rami says.

“Mom wants to know what you want for supper!” Mary yells from the porch.

Matthew pushes himself up off Rami, starting to run towards her. “Mommy!” he yells. Mary smiles and leans down, picking Matthew up. 

John walks over and scoops Noah up, reaching his hand out to Leah as well. “Come on, let’s go see what Nanny wants,” he says.

“We won then,” Gwil says, walking over to Ben and Rami, dropping down next to them. “All the children have given up.”

“I can’t believe they just abandoned me,” Ben says. “What a rubbish load of dragons.”

“Three kids is too many,” Joe groans, collapsing next to Rami. 

“Good, because we’re not having that many,” Rami says.

“How did my parents do it?” Joe asks. “Or yours?”

“My parents had four,” Gwil says.

Joe groans loudly, shaking his head. “How? God, and they didn’t even have TV to entertain you.”

Gwil laughs. “It was a lot, I’m sure.” He yawns, stretching out. “Time for bit of a nap before supper then?” he asks. “I’m knackered.” He smiles. “Though I suppose that’s being poor company.”

“So is laying outside while everyone else is in the house making our food,” Ben says, but he doesn’t make a move to get up.

“I’m a guest, they can be nice for once,” Joe says, rolling onto his stomach. “Serve me out here.”

Rami laughs, turning to press a kiss to Joe’s arm. “Just give me one more minute, then I’ll get up and help your mother.”

“I should as well, I suppose,” Gwil says, “as thanks for letting me stay.”

“No,” Joe whines, “let them serve us.”

“Okay,” Rami says, rolling onto his side to face Joe, “_five_ more minutes.”

“That’s sounds better,” Joe murmurs.

Ben shifts, snuggling a bit closer to Gwil, looking up at him. “Did you hear?” he asks softly. “They think I’m a prince.”

Gwil smiles and leans down, giving Ben a kiss. “So do I,” he says, and Ben smiles.

“That’s still awful, Gwil, just fyi,” Joe says, not even opening his eyes to look over at them.

“Do you think so?” Gwil asks Ben, and Ben shakes his head.

“No, I think it’s sweet,” Ben says. 

“Good,” Gwil says. He shifts on the ground, curling up against Ben, resting his head on his chest. They all rest there, quiet, catching their breath and resting, until the front door opens again, and they hear Noah yell, “Daddy says come now!”

“Just a sec!” Joe yells back, lifting his head up.

“Kay!” Noah shouts, and they smile.

“They’re all so lovely,” Rami says.

“Yeah, they are,” Ben agrees.

Gwil nods, drawing shapes over Ben’s ribs with his fingertips. “I want this,” he says softly, and Ben frowns a bit, looking down at him.

“Sorry?” Rami asks, turning to look at him.

Gwil pushes himself up, looking down. “I want to meet my family,” he says.

The other three all sit up as well, looking at him. After a moment, Joe clears his throat, and is the first to speak. “Well then, let’s find them,” he says.

Gwil looks up at him in surprise. “Really?” he asks, and Joe nods.

“Whenever you’re ready, big guy,” Joe says.

“Absolutely,” Rami nods. “If it’s alright, I’d love to be there with you when you do.”

“Of course,” Gwil says. “Ye— yes. I don’t think I could do it alone.”

“You _definitely_ couldn’t,” Joe says, and Gwil smiles.

“We’ll all come,” Ben says. “Just say the word.”

“Alright,” Gwil says, nodding. “Thank you.”

They sit for a moment longer, and then Joe finally pushes himself up. “Come on, the kids rule the house around here, if Noah says we gotta get up, we gotta get up.” He holds his hand out to Rami, who dusts himself off, and Ben and Gwil push themselves up. “You know, Gwil,” Joe says as they start walking towards the house. “When we meet your family, if they don’t have any little kids for you to play with, you can always borrow these ones.”

Gwil smiles. “Oh really?” he asks.

“Sure,” Joe nods. “They always need an extra uncle. Or two,” he says, looking at Ben.

“And you’ll always have our baby too,” Rami says. “No matter what your family is like, you’ll always have ours.”

Joe opens the door and they’re immediately hit with the sound of one of the children crying at the top of their lungs, and they all wince a bit. “You wanna get in there, Uncle Gwil?” Joe asks, looking back at him.

“No, I— I think this is all you,” Gwil says, “thanks though.”

Joe sighs and walks into the house, going towards the sound. “Okay, who’s crying?” he asks. “What’s going on?”

Matthew runs towards them, gasping loudly. “Leah pinched me,” he says, face red, tears on his face.

“No, I didn’t!” Leah says, stomping her foot.

“Leah, that’s rude if you pinched Matthew,” Joe says. He starts to reach down to pick Matthew up, but Matthew runs by him, clutching at Gwil’s legs instead. Joe, Rami, and Ben all look at Gwil in surprise, and Gwil looks a little surprised himself for a moment, but then he reaches down, picking Matthew up, gently shushing him.

“There, there,” Gwil says softly, rubbing Matthew’s back. “It’ll be alright, the pain will go away soon, and you’ll be all better.”

Matthew sniffles loudly, then sticks his thumb in his mouth, snuggling against Gwil.

“Come on, let’s go sit,” Gwil says, walking into the living room, carefully sitting down on the sofa next to John, who’s got Noah on his lap. 

“Hi,” Noah says, waving, and Gwil smiles, waving back.

“Hello,” he replies, then looks back at Matthew. “Do you feel better at all?” he asks.

Matthew pulls back and wipes at his eyes, then nods. “Can I have your glasses again?” he asks, and Gwil chuckles.

“Sure, if that will help,” Gwil says, and Matthew nods, reaching out to take them off his face. “All better?” he asks.

“Yes,” Matthew says, sliding the glasses on, resting against Gwil again.

“Good,” Gwil says, rubbing Matthew’s back again. He looks over at Ben, Rami, and Joe, who are all watching them with a smile on their faces. “Good,” Gwil says again, and he smiles back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • I'm pretty sure this is the softest thing I've ever written it is so fluffy.  
• just picture it guys, okay? Gwil and Ben with little Matthew??!?!? talking about flowers?!!? stop.  
• and Gwil being all excited for _Funny Girl_. and all of it, haha, it was so sweet to write.  
• and Gwil finally, officially, wants to meet his family. so that will happen in the future.  
• I honestly just really liked this chapter so I hope other people did too. it made me smile.  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> « the rating has gone up and applies to this chapter, also added new tags »

Saturday morning, Joe and John make stacks and stacks of waffles for everyone, while Mary’s husband cooks bacon. Rami sits next to Leah at the kitchen table, carefully showing her how to prepare the toppings, like putting out chocolate chips and cutting bananas (which her parents okay’d, since they’re soft enough for Leah to use just a butterknife).

Gwil and Ben take the boys just to get them out of the way, sitting on the floor with them in the living room, crayons spread out everywhere as they colour.

“What’s this?” Ben asks, reaching out to Noah’s paper, where he’s drawing something that sort of looks like a bat.

Noah shrugs, digging the crayon in as hard as he can. “I don’t know,” he says.

“It doesn’t have a name?” Ben asks.

Noah shakes his head. “I made him.”

Gwil shifts a bit, looking down at where Matthew is drawing what he thinks is Matthew playing outside the house. “Is that you playing football?” he asks.

“No, it’s soccer,” Matthew says, and Gwil smiles.

“Yes, of course, that’s what I meant,” he says. “Soccer.”

“Do you play soccer?” Matthew asks, looking up.

“Uh no,” Gwil says, “I used to play rugby for fun, when I was younger. Do you know rugby?” Matthew shakes his head. “Who do you play soccer with?”

“My friends,” Matthew says, “and Mommy and Daddy.”

“And me!” Noah exclaims.

“Wow, you play too?” Ben asks. Noah nods. “What else do you do? Do you play baseball, like your dad?”

“Yeah!” Noah says, nodding. 

Gwil looks over at Ben, smirking just a bit. “Noah,” he starts, “do you like the Yankees, or the Mets?”

Ben snorts at that, trying not to laugh. “Gwil’s just teasing, Noah, you don’t have to answer.”

“Do you play baseball?” Matthew asks, looking up at Ben.

Ben shakes his head. “No, I’m like Gwil, I played rugby. Baseball’s not really that popular in England.” Matthew doesn’t say anything to that, and Ben smiles over at Gwil. Gwil reaches out, taking Ben’s hand, squeezing his fingers gently.

They sit there colouring, occasionally quietly talking, until Joe appears in the doorway, and Ben and Gwil look up at him. “Is anybody hungry?” Joe asks, and Noah and Matthew immediately drop their crayons and jump up, running towards Joe.

“Uh, are you going to leave that mess?” Joe asks, pointing at the crayons on the floor.

“We’re not done,” Matthew says, looking up at him. 

Joe frowns a bit and sighs, letting them pass. “Okay, but you’re cleaning them up later!” he says, before looking back to Ben and Gwil. “All good?” he asks.

Ben nods, smiling at Joe as he walks by.

“Brilliant,” Gwil says, smiling at him as well.

They all crowd into the kitchen and load their plates with waffles and bacon, and then head into the dining room, where the drinks are already out. They sit down and eat, the adults helping the kids cut their waffles into smaller pieces, wiping up maple syrup and juice as the kids spill it. They go back for seconds, and Joe convinces himself he can go back for thirds, but he just ends up groaning and holding onto his stomach, while Ben just gives him a look that says _I told you so_.

The four of them offer to clean up, and with all four of them it takes no time at all, so afterward, Joe ducks his head into the living room to say that they’re going out for a walk, and they’ll be back in a bit.

“Come on,” Joe says, leading them through the backyard, to the gap in the tree-line, leading them down the path, holding onto Rami’s hand. Gwil and Ben look around, holding hands as well, and soon they come to a small clearing, the small river flowing this time of year, and Rami immediately smiles when he sees the bench, blinking his eyes against the tears that threaten to come. “C’me here,” Joe says softly, bringing Rami in for a kiss.

“We’re going exploring,” Ben says, waving at Rami and Joe.

“Be careful,” Joe says, “don’t get eaten by a bear.”

“Try not to,” Ben says, and Gwil smiles, glancing back as Rami and Joe sit down on the bench.

“What do you think?” Joe asks softly, and Rami nods, turning to hug Joe, holding onto him. “Prettier in the summer, huh?”

“It’s beautiful,” Rami says, “I love it here so much.”

Joe smiles, rubbing Rami’s back. “One of the best things that ever happened to me was right on this bench.”

Rami nods. “Me too,” he says softly, turning to look out over the clearing, and he smiles. “I…” He takes a deep breath, snuggling closer to Joe. “I love you so much,” he says.

“I love you too,” Joe says. “Man, do I ever.” He chuckles softly. “If I proposed again, would you say yes?” he asks, and Rami looks up at him.

“Why, do you have another ring in there?” Rami asks, playfully patting Joe’s pockets. He smiles, leaning in to give Joe a kiss. “I’d say yes every day if you asked. And next year I’m going to marry you.” They kiss again, and then Rami rests his head against Joe’s shoulder, smiling so hard his face starts to hurt. God, he loves it here. Joe’s right: one of the best things that ever happened to him happened right here on this bench. He wishes he could dig it up and take it back with them on the plane to England. It’s absolutely perfect.

\+ + + + +

Gwil looks around the path in awe, smiling at how beautiful it is there. He can just imagine all the fun Joe and his siblings had as children, playing back here together. It must have been wonderful.

“When do we turn back?” Ben asks, ducking underneath a tree branch.

Gwil smiles. “Well, that depends,” he says.

“On?” Ben asks, glancing back.

“How long do you think they take to shag?” Gwil asks, and Ben grins.

“Oh good, so we can head back now then,” he says, looking over at Gwil again, and Gwil smiles back.

“Now, now, love, let’s not be mean,” Gwil says, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“The _years_ of teasing I take from Joe,” Ben says, “and I can’t make one joke about his stamina? Fine.” They keep walking, and Ben looks around, glancing over at Gwil again. “Gwil?” he asks, somewhat hesitantly.

“Yes?”

Ben frowns a bit. “Uh, do— do you think he was serious about the bears?” he asks.

Gwil shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says. But then he stops walking for a moment, looking around. “Do…are there bears?” he asks.

Ben stops walking as well, looking around the woods, and then reaches out to take Gwil’s hand, turning around. “I don’t care if they’re still shagging,” he says, “we’re going back.”

Gwil laughs and lets Ben lead him down the path back to the bench, where Rami and Joe are sitting, making out.

Ben rolls his eyes and walks by them. “If you get eaten, don’t blame us,” he says.

“I’d _love_ to get eaten,” Joe says, pulling back to look at Ben, then he turns to wink at Rami.

“Joe!” Rami exclaims, pushing him away, and Joe laughs loudly. “Where are you two going?” Rami asks, turning on the bench.

“To the safety of Joe’s backyard,” Ben says.

“Bears don’t care about property lines, Ben,” Joe says. “They’ll get you, even in my yard.”

“Then we’re going inside!” Ben calls behind him as Gwil laughs.

“Bears can break down doors!”

“_Shut up, Joe_!”

\+ + + + +

After spending a few more minutes together on the bench, Rami and Joe take the path back to the house, finding Gwil sitting down on the grass, Ben laying down next to him, using Gwil’s thigh as a cushion, looking up at the clouds. Joe tries to sneak up on them, growling like a bear, but Rami shouts his name and Gwil and Ben look over at him, and Ben kicks at his leg.

When they go back inside the house, they first get something to drink from the kitchen, and then head into the living room, where the rest of the family is gathered together, watching television and playing on their phones. Joe sits down on the sofa and pulls Rami onto his lap, who rolls his eyes but snuggles against him anyway.

John’s wife has Noah on her lap, and after the four of them get settled, she whispers in Noah’s ear and then lifts him up, carefully setting him down on the floor. Noah walks over to the sofa, looking up at them.

“Hello, Noah,” Rami says, looking down at him.

“Hi,” Noah says.

“Hey Noah,” Joe says, “what’s up, buddy?” 

Noah reaches up, hooking his fingers around a couple of Joe’s, tugging at his hand. “Can you take us?”

Joe smiles. “Take you where?” he asks, playfully shaking Noah’s hand.

“The movies,” Noah says.

“The movies?” Joe echoes. “How did you know I love the movies? What did you want to see, what’s playing?”

“Lego,” Noah says.

“There’s a Lego movie playing?” Joe asks. Noah nods. “And who’s coming?”

“Me and Leah and Matthew,” Noah says.

“Who else?” Joe asks. “Just me?”

“Rami,” Noah says. “And Ben, and Will.”

Joe grins at that, winking over at Gwil. “His name is Gwil, buddy, can you say that?”

“Gwil,” Noah repeats.

“We’re all invited?” Rami asks. Noah nods. “Well, I think that sounds lovely. When does it start?”

Noah looks back at his mother.

“1:45,” she says, and then Noah looks back at them.

“Please?” Noah asks. “Can we go?”

Joe checks his watch, and nods. “I think we can make that work, buddy! Let’s do it!”

Noah grins and and starts running around the living room excitedly.

“That’s cool, right guys?” Joe asks, looking over at Ben and Gwil.

Ben looks a bit more hesitant than Gwil, but they both smile and nod their agreement.

“You guys have to get your shoes on, and and you have to hold our hands when we’re in the parking lot, and you can’t be too loud or talk too much when we’re in the theatre, okay?” Joe asks. Noah stops running around the room to nod, and Leah and Matthew both agree as well. “We’re going to have to borrow someone’s car,” Joe says.

“Take mine,” John says. “Put Matthew’s carseat in there with the other two.” He pushes himself up, and then looks at the four of them. “Can you guys drive?” he asks.

Gwil and Rami look at each other, nervous looks on their faces, but Ben just smiles. “Yes, John, I can drive,” he says. “I’ll be fine.”

“And what are you guys doing this afternoon that you’re kicking us out of the house?” Joe asks, looking around. “Day-drinking? Swingers party? Ooh, one of those parties where you buy sex toys?”

“Joseph,” Ginnie says, looking over at him.

“What?” Joe asks. “Mom, they’re kids, they don’t know what any of those words mean.”

“We just wanted you to spend some time with them before you go back,” Mary says, taking her car keys, following John towards the front door. “Get some kid practice.” She smirks at Joe. “You’re gonna need it.”

Joe rolls his eyes. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Mary, but I’m going to be a great dad.”

“Are you sure about that?” Mary asks. “You know, it’s a little tougher than just being the funny uncle.”

“Oh, I’m very sure,” Joe says.

“How do you know?” Mary asks.

Joe snorts. “Well, Mary, I just figure that if _you_ can do it—”

“_Excuse_ me,” Mary interrupts, “I am a _great_ mother, and—”

“Yeah, like I said, you’re a great mother, so how hard could it be?” Joe asks.

Ben’s eyes widen a bit, and Rami mutters “oh my god,” shifting a bit further away from Joe.

Gwil watches Mary and Joe, a faint smile on his face. “This is fantastic,” he says softly.

“Mom!” Mary exclaims. “Make him apologize!”

“Mary, I—” Ginnie starts.

Mary groans. “You always take his side!”

“That’s not true,” Joe says, “Mom hates me.”

“Joe, I do not hate you,” Ginnie says, “but I agree with your sister, you should say sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Joe asks. “She’s the one who said I’m not going to be a good dad.”

“That’s not what I said—”

“Joe, just say sorry to her.”

“Sure,” Joe says, “sorry she got hit with every branch in the ugly tree,” he finishes, and Mary steps towards him, fist clenched, making him flinch, and Mary smirks.

“Who are you calling ugly, idiot?” Mary asks. “You look exactly like me.”

“Oh, congrats then,” Joe says, “you look like a man in his mid-thirties.”

Mary rolls her eyes. “Maybe _you_ look like a girl.”

Ben lifts his hand to his face, trying hard not to laugh.

Rami sighs and stands up, shaking his head, reaching down to take Noah’s hand. “Come on, Noah, let’s get your shoes on,” he says.

“Mary!” John hollers, coming back into the house. "What’s taking so long?”

“She’s too busy yelling at me,” Joe says.

“Mommy’s yelling,” Matthew says, nodding.

“Whatever it was, I’m sure you deserved it,” John says. “I need the keys to get Matthew’s carseat out.”

“What do you mean I deserved it?” Joe asks. “I come back here once a year and I’m getting yelled at for nothing?”

“You said I wasn’t a good mother,” Mary says.

“No, I said you _are_ a good mother,” Joe says, “so it must not be that difficult.”

Mary groans again and then tosses her keys at John, with just a bit more force than necessary.

“Maybe we should get the kids ready,” Gwil says to Ben, but neither of them move, still watching the situation unfolding in front of them.

“You should be nicer to me,” Joe says, finally standing up. “Or I won’t come back.”

Mary rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure I’d really miss you.”

Joe mock gasps, clutching at his chest. “Oh yeah,” he says, “because you’re _so_ great.”

“When are you leaving again?” Mary asks.

“Not soon enough!” Joe snaps.

“Noah and I are ready,” Rami says, appearing back in the entryway, holding Noah in his arms, “if anyone else is coming.”

Ben and Gwil finally push themselves up, walking with Leah and Matthew to the door, helping them get their shoes on. They walk outside, eventually followed by Joe, who’s got the keys to the rental car. 

John tosses his keys to Ben, and then Ben looks down at them, eyes wide. “Well, wait— I can’t drive the kids,” he says, looking around.

“Why not?” Joe asks.

“I—” Ben just shakes his head a bit. “Is that safe?” he asks.

“The theatre’s only five minutes down the street,” Joe says. “But I can drive them, if you want.”

“I think it’s alright, love,” Gwil says, patting Ben on the arm. “We’ll be fine.”

Ben looks up at Gwil, and finally nods. They get the kids buckled in, and Joe tells Ben how to get to the theatre. When they climb into the car, Gwil looks into the backseat, and smiles at the three of them.

“Uncle Ben just gets a _bit_ nervous when people are loud when he’s driving,” Gwil says, “so you can talk as much you’d like, but just be a little quiet for him, is that okay? We don’t want him to get distracted.”

Ben gives Gwil a smile; even though it’s not true at all, he’s driven around for miles with Joe yelling in his ear about baseball or some cooking show and had no problems at all, he’s still relieved that he’s not going to have three children shouting at him for the next five minutes.

“Gwil?” Leah asks.

“Yes,” Gwil says, turning to look back at them again.

“Are you and Rami _really_ old?” Leah asks.

“Uh, what do you mean?” Gwil asks, realizing that he has no idea how much of their situation the children have had explained to them, or what they understand. He assumes it’s probably not much. Time dilation is confusing enough for scientists.

“I heard my mom and dad say that,” Leah says, “but you don’t look old.”

Gwil glances over at Ben, who’s biting down on his lip, unsure of what to say. “Uh…what else did you hear them say?” Gwil asks.

“I don’t know,” Leah says.

“They went to space,” Matthew says.

“I know that,” Leah says.

“I’m the same age as your Uncle Joe,” Gwil says. “That’s, uh, that’s how old I am.” He glances back, smiling nervously at them. “But it’s a bit hard to explain.”

“Oh,” Leah says. “Okay. Ben, how old are you?”

Ben chuckles softly. “I am 28, Leah.”

Leah nods, kicking her feet a bit. After a moment, she asks, “is that old?”

Gwil laughs a bit, and Ben shakes his head. “God, I hope not,” Ben mutters. 

“Ben’s not old,” Gwil says, reaching over to pat his leg a couple times. “Ben's the baby, he’s the young one.”

“I’m the baby,” Noah says, and Gwil smiles.

“Are you?” he asks, looking at the back again. Noah nods. “That’s lovely. I was the youngest of my siblings too.”

“Yeah,” Noah says, nodding again.

“Are you married?” Leah asks.

Ben’s eyes widen a bit, and he glances in the rearview mirror. “No,” he says, looking over at Gwil. “Why do you say that?” he asks.

“Your ring,” Leah says. “My parents wear rings and they say they’re wedding rings. Because they’re married.”

Gwil smiles at Ben, then looks at Leah. “No, neither of us are married, Leah.”

“Oh,” Leah says. “Okay.”

Ben looks down at his ring, then glances back at Leah again. “Gwil did give me this ring, though, Leah.”

“Because you’re boyfriends?” Leah asks. “Like Uncle Joe and Uncle Rami?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Ben says.

“So you kiss?”

“Gross!” Matthew exclaims, and Gwil and Ben both laugh softly. “Kissing is gross.”

They get to the theatre as quickly as Joe said, and Ben parks. He and Gwil climb out and help the kids out of the backseat, Ben taking Noah in his arms and Gwil taking Leah and Matthew’s hands.

Rami and Joe drive in a minute later, and Matthew tries to run towards the car, but Gwil keeps his grip on his hand.

“Remember what Uncle Joe said,” Gwil says, “with cars around you’ve got to hold on, okay? Let’s walk over together.” Matthew nods and Gwil glances around, leading Leah and Matthew over to them.

Joe climbs out of the car and smiles at them, but Gwil and Ben can both tell that he’s upset, his eyes are red and his cheeks are still wet. “I’m fine,” he says quickly, sniffling, before reaching down to pick up Leah. “Let’s go, okay?”

“Okay,” Leah says, wrapping her arms around Joe’s neck. “Are you okay?”

“Perfect now,” Joe says, and he kisses her cheek. “Let’s go!” He smiles and starts playfully running to the entrance of the theatre, but Gwil and Ben just look over at Rami.

“Thank you for driving them,” Rami says.

“What happened?” Ben asks.

Rami just shakes his head. “I think later, if that’s alright?” He looks down at Matthew, who’s clutching onto Gwil’s hand. “Was that a fun drive?” he asks, and Matthew shrugs.

“I don’t know,” he says, and Rami reaches out, playfully ruffling his hair.

“Well, what sorts of treats do you want for the movie?” Rami asks.

“I like popcorn and juice,” Matthew says.

“Well, popcorn and juice it is then,” Rami says, and he looks back up at Gwil and Ben, giving them a weak smile. “He’s fine,” he says.

“Are you sure?” Gwil asks, and Rami just nods, reaching down to pick Matthew up.

“Sure,” Rami says, holding Matthew close to him as they walk into the theatre.

\+ + + + +

When they get back to the house, Joe and Rami park, and get out. Joe waits around for a couple seconds, watching as Rami walks over to John’s car, helping the children out, taking Matthew in his arms again. Ben walks with Leah, and Gwil takes Noah, and Joe walks ahead of them all into the house, and immediately heads upstairs.

“Hi,” John says, taking Leah from Ben, who also hands over the keys to his car. “What’s going on?” he asks, looking up the stairs.

“Not sure yet,” Ben says, giving John a quick smile. He waits for Rami and Gwil to hand off Matthew and Noah as well, and then the three of them go upstairs, finding the door to Joe’s room closed.

“Joe?” Ben calls, knocking softly. “We’re coming in.” Joe doesn’t protest, and when they walk in, they find him sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall, holding onto his pillow.

Gwil walks in and starts looking around, it being his first time in Joe’s room; he takes in the old toys and posters, and Ben and Rami immediately head to the bed, sitting down next to Joe on the mattress.

“Alright, got rid of the kids,” Ben says, “what’s wrong?”

“I’m an asshole, that’s what’s wrong,” Joe says, reaching up to wipe at his face.

Ben opens his mouth to say something and then stops himself, sighing and reaching out to take gently Joe’s hand, shaking it playfully. “That’s not true,” he says.

Joe scoffs, shaking his head. “I’m an idiot.”

Ben smiles faintly. “I might have to give you that one, mate,” he says. “What’s happened?”

“I see my family once a year, maybe twice, and I come home and tell off my sister,” Joe says.

“That’s what siblings do,” Gwil says, turning around to look at him. “That’s— god, that was nothing, Joe. Just a bit of fun, really. You should have seen the rows I had with my brothers.”

Joe looks up at Gwil, and his eyes start to fill with tears again, and he sniffles. “I…I miss them,” he says. “I don’t— I don’t know how I’m supposed to go back to the city tomorrow, I— I’m missing them grow up, and I— like, do they even remember me?”

“Joe, it’s not as if you don’t talk to them,” Rami says, “we FaceTime them every week. They know who you are, they love you. You’re their Uncle Joe.”

“We don’t have to go back to the city,” Ben says. “We can stay here until we fly out on Tuesday night. I— what have we got going on?”

Joe glances over at Gwil, who makes a bit of a face, and then Rami and Ben glance over at him as well. “No,” Joe says, “we…we can’t stay forever.” He sniffles. “I just…I was joking, but…I wasn’t. And then she said— she said I might not be a good dad. What if she’s right?”

“Mary’s a great mum,” Ben says, “and you’ll be a great dad. You’re allowed to get a fight with your sister. It’s— it’s the rules. All siblings fight. Don’t they?” he asks, looking at Rami and Gwil.

“Go say sorry to your sister,” Rami says, “you’ll feel better.” Joe nods. “And then we’ve got tonight, what— what are we going to do? Have supper with them, we can play games, you can tuck them in.”

“Yeah,” Joe says softly. He sighs, then shifts on the bed, snuggling into his pillows. “It’s just hard sometimes,” he says. He wipes at his eyes, then looks around at the other three. “Sorry, that’s…of course you guys know it’s hard. I’m…selfish.”

“You’re not,” Rami says, leaning forward to reach out, wiping at Joe’s cheeks. “Is he, Gwil?”

“Not at all,” Gwil says, giving Joe a comforting smile.

“Come on, let’s go down,” Rami says. “You and Mary can talk it out. It’s okay.”

“I just, I don’t want,” Joe sniffles again, “I don’t want to come back just to ruin things.”

Rami smiles, giving Joe a quick kiss. “You could never,” he says. “It was a silly argument, that’s all. It’s a lot of people all in one house.”

“I do think she’s a good mom,” Joe says, and Rami nods.

“Of course you do,” Rami says. “Now go tell her that,” he says, and Joe nods, pushing himself up off the bed. Rami takes his hand and the four of them walk downstairs together. 

Joe glances around, and then walks into the dining room, where Mary’s sitting, Matthew on her lap, half-asleep, looking at a casefile laid out on the table. Ben, Gwil, and Rami head into the living room, where the rest of the family is sitting. Joe gently clears his throat and then sits down at the table. Mary shifts on her chair, but doesn’t say anything. “Hi,” Joe says softly.

“Hi,” Mary says after a moment.

Joe reaches out across the table, putting his hand on one of her papers. “Forgive me yet?” he asks.

Mary finally looks up. “Are you going actually to apologize?” she asks.

Joe nods. “I’m really sorry,” he says. “I know you’re a great mom, I’m just an asshole.” He looks at Matthew, and makes a bit of a face, but he’s out like a light and doesn’t hear. “I just don’t want to leave tomorrow and have you hate me.”

Mary sighs. “I don’t hate you,” she says. “I’ve known you for too long to hate you You’re just my annoying little brother.”

“Am I your most annoying lit—”

“Yes,” Mary says flatly, but then she smiles.

Joe smiles back, then looks at Matthew, sighing. “I’m sorry I said you weren’t a good mom. You’re a great mom.”

“Thank you,” Mary says, looking down at Matthew, smiling. 

“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?” Joe asks, voice wavering a bit.

Mary looks up at him, losing her smile a bit in surprise, but then she nods eagerly. “Of course you will be.”

“Yeah?” Joe asks, and Mary nods again. “Okay. If you say so.” He swallows hard. “I’m sort of nervous.”

“I know,” Mary says, “but it’ll be okay. I shouldn’t have joked about it, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how nervous you actually are. But you’ll be great. You and Rami both. Watching you guys with the kids, it’s— it’s awesome.”

Joe nods, reaching up to wipe at his eyes, biting down on his lip. “I miss Dad,” he says. Mary nods, frowning. “I wish he could have met Rami.”

“I know,” Mary says softly.

Joe shakes his head a bit, sniffling. “I know it’s not fair because life’s not fair but…my kid is the only one he won’t get to meet. I— Rami’s the only one he didn’t get to meet.”

“He would’ve loved him,” Mary says.

“Yeah, everybody loves him,” Joe says nodding, and Mary smiles. “He’s kind of the best.” He sniffles, and sighs. “I just…I’m upset that Dad’s not here, and I just…it got out of control. I didn’t mean it. You’re not ugly.”

“We have the same face,” Mary says, and Joe chuckles. Matthew whines softly as he starts to wake up in Mary’s arms. “Do you have big plans for your anniversary?” Mary asks, shifting Matthew on her lap, and Joe nods. “Good,” she says. “I’m happy for you. Even if you are a dick.” She lifts Matthew up, starting to rub his back. “Are you awake?” she asks, and Matthew nods, burying his face in her neck. “Okay,” she says. “Let’s go see Daddy,” she says, carefully pushing her chair back from the table.

Joe follows them into the living room, and then drops down on Rami’s lap, making him groan loudly in surprise. He snuggles against him, and Rami smiles.

“Is this necessary?” Rami asks, and Joe nods. “Well, alright then.” 

“How was the movie?” Ginnie asks.

“Uh, it was alright, yeah,” Gwil says, nodding. “Uh…the kids liked it.”

The others laugh. “Yeah, that’s…sometimes you watch some stinkers, let’s say,” John says with a smile. He looks down at Noah. “Did you like it?” he asks, and Noah nods. “Good.”

Rami gives it a few more moments before he has to shove Joe off of him.

“Oh, babe, come on,” Joe whines, “I just want a snuggle.”

“_Later_,” Rami says softly, and Joe grins up at him, waggling his eyebrows.

“Yes, please,” Joe says, at the same time Mary says, “oh gross, no.”

Noah looks over at Joe, and then tries crawling onto his lap.

“Aww, you wanna snuggle with me?” Joe asks, and Noah nods. “Okay, thank you, buddy. That’s nice of you.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss the top of Noah’s head, then looks up at Rami. “_Somebody_ loves me,” he says.

“Not in the same way, I hope,” Ben mutters, and Gwil snorts, trying not to laugh.

“Ben, don't be gross,” Joe says, gently rubbing Noah’s back.

Ben sighs, rolling his eyes. “All the shit—”

“Ben,” Ginnie says sharply, and Ben winces, sinking down a bit in his seat.

“Sorry,” he says, looking around at everyone, embarrassed, and Joe just smirks.

\+ + + + +

Sunday morning, Joe’s alarm goes off, and Rami immediately curls against him, trying to hide his face from the sunlight streaming through the windows.

“Come on,” Joe says softly, and Rami groans. “We said we would.”

“I don’t want to,” Rami says, “I want to sleep.”

“We can sleep in tomo— well, actually no, we can’t,” Joe says. “But we can sleep in on Tuesday.”

Rami sighs, lifting his head up, looking down at Joe. “It’s so early,” he says.

“I know,” Joe says, “but just be thankful I managed to talk my mom out of the 7am Mass.” Rami whines a little bit and Joe grins, leaning in to give him a kiss. “Come on,” he says, “up and at ‘em.”

“Why do Catholics like punishing themselves so much?” Rami asks. “You know you could go to church on a Sunday afternoon, I think God would be fine with that.”

Joe laughs and climbs out of bed, yawning and stretching as he walks over to his bag. “Oh no, nothing’s easy with Catholics. Come on.”

“Are Ben and Gwil coming?” Rami asks.

“That all depends on if Gwil can get Ben to open his eyes before noon on a Sunday,” Joe says, and Rami smiles.

“So is that a no?” he asks, and Joe laughs. Rami watches Joe start to get dressed, and then his smile grows, and he sits up. “Joe?” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe looks over, tugging his shirt on.

“Happy anniversary,” Rami says, and Joe turns around, a huge smile on his face.

“Today’s our anniversary?” Joe asks, and Rami rolls his eyes, and Joe laughs. “Joking, joking, I know that,” he says. He walks over and leans down, giving him a quick kiss. “There’s more where that came from,” he says, “if you’re good.”

Rami bites down on his lip, then leans up, kissing him again. “But what if I’m bad?” he asks softly, tongue coming out to wet his lips, and Joe swallows hard.

“God, Rami, right before Mass?” he asks. “You’re kinky as fuck. Calm down, okay?”

Rami laughs loudly, and finally gets out of bed. “If I’m kinky, it’s only because you made me this way.”

Joe laughs again, and gives Rami another quick kiss. “Fair enough,” he agrees.

When Joe and Rami finally leave Joe’s room, dressed in their Sunday best and ready to go, they find Gwil and Ben on the sofa together downstairs, Ben’s head leaning on Gwil’s shoulder, eyes closed. 

“It took awhile,” Gwil says, looking up at them, “but I promised him coffee.”

“And probably a whole lot more than that,” Joe says, winking at him. Gwil smiles, rolling his eyes. “Come on, there’s a coffee place on the way,” Joe says, “if we leave now we’ll have time.”

“Ben,” Gwil says softly, turning towards him. “It’s time to go, love, Joe and Rami are ready.”

“I hate everyone,” Ben murmurs, and Gwil grins.

“Love, it’s not even that early,” Gwil says, and Ben groans, finally straightening up and opening his eyes. 

“Fine,” Ben says, “but I’m sleeping the whole drive back to the city.” He stands up and yawns, walking over to the door to get his shoes on. “Stupid early,” he mutters to himself, shaking his head. “This is ridiculous,” he says. “This is why Henry VIII left Catholicism, you know.”

Rami snorts at that, shaking his head. 

“Is it?” Gwil asks. “Are you sure?”

“This is _exactly_ why,” Ben says, shaking his head, groaning softly when Gwil wraps his arm around him, pulling him in.

\+ + + + +

Mass ends, and they all slowly file out together. Ginnie, and the rest of Joe’s family head to their cars, and Ginnie gives Joe a warm smile and a nod. Joe smiles back and then reaches out, taking Rami’s hand, then gestures over to the cemetery. “It’s this way, guys,” he says softly, and Ben gives Joe a polite smile and claps him on the shoulder a couple times as he and Gwil follow after them. Joe leads them down the pass to his father’s gravestone, sighing softly when he sees his father’s name. “Hi Dad,” Joe says, pressing a kiss to a couple of his fingers, pressing them to the stone. His eyes almost immediately start to well up with tears. “You remember Rami,” he says, voice rough, and Rami smiles, resting against Joe. “And Ben.”

“Hi, Mr. Mazzello,” Ben says. 

Joe gives him a grateful smile, and then gestures towards Gwil. “But this is, uh, this is Gwil.”

Gwil gently clears his throat, giving the stone an awkward wave.

“You’d love him,” Joe says, “and I’d love to hear the conversations the two of you would have. He studies plants.” He nods slowly, sniffling. “Uh, we’re just in town for a couple days,” he continues. “It’s— it’s just a quick trip. Gwil had never been here before. All the kids are here, they’re great. Really big now.” His voice breaks a bit and he quickly clears his throat, glancing over at the other three, who are all watching him sympathetically. “We’re leaving soon to go back to the city. Because today’s actually— today is mine and Rami’s anniversary, if you can believe that.” He squeezes Rami’s hand. “It’s been a whole year since this guy made his move on me.”

“Stop it,” Rami says, shyly smiling and shifting on his feet.

“So you know I’d love to stay and chat forever,” Joe says, “but Rami and I have plans, and I know you’d hate that— for us to sit around and spend the whole day with you. You’d want us to get out there and celebrate and— and we will, but I just wanted to say hi. And that I miss you.” He blows out a shaky breath, blinking back tears. “And that I wish you were here. Okay? I love you, Dad.”

Rami reaches up to wipe at his eyes, noticing that Ben and Gwil are trying to hide the fact that they’re both doing the same. “Thank you, Mr. Mazzello,” Rami says, stepping towards the stone. “For your son.” He glances over when he hears Gwil make a noise, like a whimper, and sees Ben reaching up to pull him into a hug.

“See you soon, Dad,” Joe says. “I— oh, I took Rami to his first Yankees game. He’s a big fan now, you’d be super happy.”

Rami laughs softly, wiping his eyes again. “We’re all fans now,” he says. “It was brilliant.”

Joe stands there for a few seconds longer, looking at the stone, and then finally turns around, looking down at the ground. Rami walks with him, and glances back, watching Ben and Gwil turn to the stone, and Gwil reach out to gently touch it.

When they get back to the parking lot, Joe’s family is still standing there, waiting for them. Joe immediately goes to his mother, getting wrapped up in her arms, and Rami gives Mary and John a small smile. Ben and Gwil walk up to him a few moments later, holding hands, and Ben watches Joe hugging Ginnie, biting down on his lip and looking away.

Eventually, Joe pulls back, and they all get in their cars, driving back to Ginnie’s house for one last family lunch before everyone heads back to the city. Part of Joe does wish they could stay longer, but he also knows that he has plans for Rami, and Gwil has plans for Ben, and they just can’t spend that much more time there. And, Joe thinks as he digs into his lunch, it fucking sucks.

\+ + + + +

Gwil shifts on his feet, shading his eyes with his hand, watching Joe say goodbye to his family. He feels like he’s interrupting something personal, but he also hasn’t said his goodbyes yet, and he knows it’d be rude not to, so he waits for his turn.

Ginnie smiles at Joe, cupping his face in her hands. “My baby,” she says.

Joe scoffs, but he sniffles too, his eyes filled with tears. “John’s your baby,” he says softly, and Ginnie’s smile grows.

“You were all my baby at one point,” she says, “and you’ll always be my baby.”

“Okay,” Joe says, smiling at her, bottom lip trembling.

“I love you,” she says, and Joe nods. 

“I love you too, Mom,” Joe says. He sniffles and wipes at his face, stepping back, letting Rami hug her while he goes to say his goodbyes to the rest of the family.

“Thank you for letting us stay,” Rami says, giving Ginnie a kiss on the cheek.

“It was my pleasure,” Ginnie says, “you know you’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you,” Rami says, nodding, reaching up to gently touch his necklace.

Ginnie turns, opening her arms to Ben, pulling him in. She squeezes him gently and then rubs his back a couple times. “I’m so happy for you, Ben, after everything,” she says, and Ben pulls back a bit, looking at her, confused. “I know you never told me,” she says, “and don’t worry, neither did Joe. But…a mother knows.”

Ben looks down, gently clearing his throat. “My mum didn’t…thank you, Ginnie,” he says softly.

Ginnie smiles and kisses him on the forehead. “You can call me any time, Ben,” she says, and he nods. “Now, Mr. Lee,” she says, turning towards Gwil. 

“Yes?” Gwil asks, stepping forward.

“This better not be the last I hear from you,” Ginnie says.

“Uh, no ma’am,” Gwil says. “I promise.”

“And do not think you can lie to me, Gwilym,” Ginnie says, “I’ve seen it and heard it all. You are welcome to call any time, or come back and visit. I hate the thought of you over there alone.”

“Oh,” Gwil says, smiling, “well, I’m— I’m not alone,” he says, glancing over at Ben, and Ginnie smiles back. “But thank you,” he says, “I promise.”

Ginnie leans up and pulls him into a hug. “Treat him right,” she says, and Gwil nods, briefly closing his eyes. “And make sure he treats you right too,” she says, “you both deserve it.”

“Yes ma’am,” Gwil says softly, pulling back. He turns and walks over to Mary, who’s got Matthew in her arms. “It was a pleasure, Mary,” he says to her, and then he looks down at Matthew. “I very much enjoyed playing ocean with you, Matthew. Was I good boat?” Matthew nods eagerly, and Gwil smiles. “If it’s alright with you and your parents, could I have a hug?”

“Yes,” Matthew says, and Mary carefully hands him over to Gwil, who squeezes him gently, smiling at him.

“Joe told me it’s your birthday next month,” Gwil says, “is that true?” Matthew nods, looking up at Gwil. “Well, I want you to do me a favour then, alright?”

“Okay,” Matthew says.

“I want you to think about what you want for your birthday, and then tell your mam so that she can tell me, is that alright?” Gwil asks. 

“A present?” Matthew asks eagerly. “Okay.”

Gwil chuckles softly, then hands Matthew back to Mary. “Don’t forget to tell her, otherwise I won’t know. I’ve got no idea what sorts of things children play with these days, okay?” Matthew nods, and the four of them finish saying the rest of their goodbyes, and get back into the rental car. Joe takes the driver’s seat, letting out a deep breath as he pulls out of the driveway, but he only lasts a few minutes before he can’t keep his cries to himself, and he pulls over to the side of the road so that Ben can take over, and Rami and Joe get into the backseat while Gwil moves up.

“Sorry to be such a bummer on our anniversary,” Joe says, wiping his face, resting against Rami.

“That’s okay,” Rami says, “I don’t mind at all. I know how important your family is to you. I’m glad that we could spend even just a little bit of today with them.” He reaches up, gently brushing Joe’s hair back from his forehead, then kissing him.

“I didn’t embarrass you too much?” Joe asks, sniffling loudly, and Rami laughs.

“I didn’t say that, did I?” Rami says, and he pulls Joe in closer to him. “It was all still lovely.”

“The whole weekend was,” Gwil says, glancing in the backseat. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“See?” Rami says, smiling at Joe. “Everybody had a good time.”

Joe nods, sniffling again. “I’ll be fine in a bit,” he says, “I don’t want anything to ruin my plans.”

“You couldn’t ruin today,” Rami says, leaning in to kiss Joe’s temple, “I promise.”

\+ + + + +

They drop off the rental car, and take their bags, walking the short distance back to the hotel. When they get into the elevator, Joe smiles over at Ben and Gwil. “You guys heading out soon?” he asks.

Gwil nods, smiling at him. “We are, yes.”

“What are you doing anyway?” Rami asks.

Ben shrugs. “He won’t tell me.”

“Neither will Joe,” Rami says, and Ben smiles.

“I bet it’s a foursome,” he says, and Joe immediately turns to him.

“Would you be into that?” Joe asks eagerly.

Gwil coughs loudly and Rami is quick to smack Joe on the arm.

“What?” Joe says. “Geez, I was _joking_.” He looks at Ben again. “Unless…” He winks.

The elevator doors open and Ben shakes his head, walking out. “How about Gwil and Rami and I stay here together, and you can go out alone?” He takes out his keycard, unlocking their door.

“Will you tape it at least?” Joe asks, and Ben sighs, walking into the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Joe calls after him. “Have a good night,” he says, winking at Gwil, and then unlocks his and Rami’s room as well.

“Bye,” Gwil says. “Have a good anniversary.”

“Bye,” Rami says, waving at him before following Joe into their room. He smiles at him, closing the door. “Well?” he asks.

“Well what?” Joe asks, flopping onto the bed.

Rami hurries over and jumps on the mattress next to him, immediately moving to sit on Joe’s lap, looking down at him. “What are your plans?” he asks eagerly.

“Oh,” Joe says, “I don’t know, I figured we’d just go find some street meat and call it a day.” He groans, shifting under him. “I am awfully tired. Whose dumb idea was it to go to Mass today anyway?”

“Stop,” Rami whines, “really. Come on. Tell me.”

“Oh, I _guess_ I have actual plans,” Joe says. He glances at his watch, then does the math in his head. “We don’t have to go _just_ yet. But we can if you want.”

“Where are we going?” Rami asks. “Is it far?”

Joe shakes his head. “The first part is like, a ten minute walk away.”

“The first part?” Rami asks. “Joe, what are we doing?” he asks.

Joe laughs softly, leaning up to give Rami a kiss. “It’s a surprise,” he says, “but I hope you like it.”

“I will,” Rami says, and he gives Joe another kiss. “I’m so excited.”

“Yeah?” Joe asks, settling his hands on Rami’s waist. “Tell me: a year ago, when you were freaking out about whether or not you were going to kiss me, did you think we’d be here today?”

Rami smiles and shakes his head. “Not in a million years.”

“And you kissed me anyway,” Joe says. “I think that’s— that’s what always gets me.”

“What do you mean?” Rami asks.

“That you had no idea how I was going to react, what would happen,” Joe says, “and you kissed me anyway.”

Rami blushes a bit, looking down. “I…just really wanted to.”

Joe laughs softly, and leans up to kiss him. “Yeah, and I’m really glad you did.” 

Rami settles against him, and they lay there quietly on the bed, just curled against each other, for a few minutes before Joe finally stirs beneath him and pats him on the ass. 

“Come on,” Joe says, “we should probably start getting ready.”

Rami rolls off him and stands up. “What should I wear?” he asks.

Joe shrugs. “Uh, I don’t know. You know.”

“Joe,” Rami says impatiently, “you have to at least give me a hint if you don’t want me to look like rubbish!”

“You could never look like _rubbish_,” Joe says. “Uh, the first place isn’t really fancy and you’ll stick out if you go in like, a suit, but we are going out to dinner at a…nice shirt and trousers place? You need a collar, I think.”

“Okay,” Rami says. “Let me see what I have,” he says, going to his suitcase. 

“Anything,” Joe says, “you’re gonna look—” He smiles, shaking his head. “You’re gonna look amazing.”

Rami glances over at him, smiling. “I’m not wearing anything special,” he says.

Joe shrugs. “Doesn’t matter,” he says. “You’re gonna look good.”

Rami smiles again. “And what are you wearing?” he asks.

Joe shrugs. “I’m going naked.”

Rami rolls his eyes. “I know you said people are odd here, but I think even that would get noticed.”

“What if we’re going to a nudist resort?” Joe asks. “Then nobody would notice.”

“If we’re going to a nudist resort,” Rami says, “I’m staying in.” 

Joe laughs. “Okay, we’re not. I promise. I _promise_. Nobody’s seeing you naked tonight except for me.”

“You sound awfully sure of yourself,” Rami says, “you must’ve planned something wonderful if you think you’re going to see me naked.”

“Oh, come on,” Joe says, pouting, watching Rami pull off his shirt. “If you hate it can we have a pity fuck?”

“_Shag_,” Rami says, “and we’ll see.”

Joe watches Rami get changed, and then Rami looks at him expectantly and a bit impatiently, and Joe finally stands up and gets changed too. He takes his hand and leads him downstairs, smiling over at him once they step outside. “Ready?” Joe asks.

“Yes, of course,” Rami says. “Wherever you’d like to go.”

“Okay, good,” Joe says. They turn right down the sidewalk, and Rami still looks around at everything as they pass, smiling at the city. The turn left down Columbus Avenue, and then they come to a large stone building. As they walk by it, Rami turns his head, keeping his eye on it, but doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t think that’s where they’re going. 

Then Joe starts leading him towards the building, and Rami looks around, trying to figure out what it is. They walk up the sidewalk and then Rami’s eyes widen a bit as a large glassed-in portion of the building comes into sight, and inside they can see what looks like a large white ball. “What’s that?” Rami asks.

Joe smiles at him. “It’s the planetarium,” he says. 

“Really?” Rami asks. He’d heard of them, but had still never been to one.

“Yeah, is that okay?” Joe asks.

“Yes, please,” Rami says, smiling at him. “I— I think that sounds perfect,” he says. “Thank you.”

Joe leans in and gives him a kiss, and smiles again. “You’re welcome,” he says softly.

“What’s it like?” Rami asks. “Or— what’s it about? I— what do they do?”

“I’m not sure what it’s about, honestly,” Joe says, “I just bought the tickets regardless. As for what it’s like, I don’t know, can you wait a few minutes to see?”

Rami smiles and nods. “I suppose so, yes,” he says.

“Okay,” Joe says. “Good.” They walk in, and look around briefly before taking their seats, and settling in. Rami looks around as other file in around them, taking in the size of it all. He looks up at the ceiling, and snuggles against Joe’s side. After a short while, the lights dim, and images of the night sky start appearing on the ceiling, and a loud booming voice comes from the speakers, “_Way out here, ten million light years from planet Earth, every point of light is a galaxy containing billions of stars._”

Rami smiles at Joe, and Joe grins back. “This is so cool,” Rami whispers to him, and Joe nods eagerly, leaning in to kiss him on the neck, making Rami laugh softly.

\+ + + + +

After the planetarium show, they walk around the museum a bit to kill time before their next destination, but Rami’s barely paying any attention. “I’d never seen anything like it,” Rami says, “I’d really never seen anything like it.”

Joe laughs a bit at that. “I mean, you went to actual space,” he says, “so you kind of _literally_ saw—”

“That was so beautiful though, Joe,” Rami says. “I— it’s so wonderful that people can go there and watch a show like that and see the stars, and the galaxies, and— oh, it was so lovely.”

“I’m really glad you liked it,” Joe says.

Rami nods eagerly. “Of course I did,” he says, “you knew— of course I did. You know me so well. I loved it.”

“Good,” Joe says, “good. I know I— I do feel kind of bad that I took over the planning for this, but I just wanted to surprise you and make you happy and—”

“I’m not worried,” Rami says. “I’m sure everything we’re going to do is going to be lovely. And besides, I— I have a surprise for you too.”

“Ooh, you do?” Joe asks. “What is it?”

“A _surprise_,” Rami says, laughing a bit. “As in…a surprise. You’ll see later.” He looks over at him. “Although, now I— well, I hope—”

“I’m gonna love it,” Joe says quickly, “I just know it.” He leans in, giving Rami a kiss. “Whatever it is.”

Rami smiles at him. “Okay, good,” he says. “I hope so.”

“No doubt in my mind,” Joe says, squeezing Rami’s hand. “Happy anniversary, Rami,” he says softly.

Rami stops walking, and leans in, kissing Joe again. “Happy anniversary, Joe,” he says. “I love hearing that.”

“Yeah?” Joe asks.

“Yeah,” Rami says. “Really, I— happy anniversary.” He laughs softly. “That sounds so wonderful.” They start walking again, Rami paying a bit more attention to the actual exhibits now, but he’s still holding tightly to Joe’s hand, smiling as they walk.

\+ + + + +

They get off the subway at the 14th Street Station, and Joe does a quick glance outside as he starts leading Rami in the direction of their next destination. Along the way, they talk about what they have to do when they get home in a couple of days, both of them agreeing that treats and maybe a new toy for Augie are in order.

Rami glances over at the river as they turn right and start heading up the street, but he doesn’t think anything of it, until they cross the street, and Rami glances up at the sign. “What’s Chelsea Piers?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Joe says, smiling over at him, and Rami rolls his eyes.

“Where are we going?” Rami asks.

“I don’t know,” Joe says, and Rami laughs. 

“Okay, so it’s the blind leading the blind, is it?” Rami asks. Joe shrugs, and just keeps leading Rami, until they’re on the river, standing on the pier, looking out a large boat, with what looks like a glass ceiling, and Rami glances over at Joe. “What is it?” he asks.

“It’s dinner,” Joe says, smiling at him. “A sunset boat cruise. Is that okay?”

Rami nods, smiling. “Joe, that’s…it looks lovely.”

“Okay,” Joe says, “good.” They board the boat and walk around, looking out at the water and the city.

“I’ll always love London,” Rami says, “but I think I know why people love it here. It really is quite pretty.”

“You’re the prettiest thing in either city,” Joe says, and Rami blushes, smiling as he looks away. Joe laughs a bit. “Come on, now you compliment me,” he says.

Rami rolls his eyes, starting to laugh. “Is that how it goes?” he asks. “We just— trade compliments? That’s why you’re so nice to me?” Joe nods eagerly. “Well, I’m not sure about prettiest, but I’m certainly the luckiest person in either city,” he says, “because I’m engaged to you.”

Joe playfully squeals and Rami laughs. “That was pretty good babe!” Joe exclaims, and after they walk around the boat, they find a staff member, and are led to their small private table, and Rami smiles and immediately leans in to smell the roses that have been set out there. Joe pulls out Rami’s chair and kisses the top of his head before sitting down across from him.

The server appears with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes, pouring out the drinks for them. 

“Should we make a toast?” Joe asks, lifting up his glass.

Rami bites down on his lip, and then nods. “Yes, please,” he says, “do you have anything to say?” he asks.

“Just that,” Joe lets out a small breath, and then smiles, “we were born a hundred years apart,” Rami’s quickly looks down at that, “and somehow we were still born to be together.”

“Joe,” Rami says, blinking rapidly, “that’s…”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Joe asks.

Rami nods. “Yes, it is,” he says. “That’s so sweet.” He reaches out, gently clinking his glass against Joe’s. “I love you.” They each drink, and then Rami beams at Joe, excitedly looking around. The piano player starts to play, and the boat leaves the dock, starting down the Hudson River. “This is so much,” he says. “You know, we can’t be doing posh things like this every year, we’ll be skint.”

“That’s okay,” Joe says, “I’m not worried.”

“Joe,” Rami says warningly.

“What?” Joe asks.

“Don’t spend so much on me,” Rami says.

“Rami,” Joe says, “you are my fiancé, and you are going to be my husband, and we’re nowhere near at risk of going broke, and you deserve everything in the world, okay? Our first anniversary, in New York City, and we can’t spend some dough? Come on.”

Rami makes a bit of a face as he thinks, but he finally sighs, shaking his head. “Okay, fine,” he says. “Fine.”

“Besides,” Joe says, “you probably spent some money on me too, right?”

Rami looks at Joe with a flat look on his face, blinking. “Joe,” he says. “It’s not about who spends more money on who.”

“I know that,” Joe says. “I’m just wondering what this surprise is.”

Rami rolls is eyes a bit and shakes his head. “Just wait.”

“But I can’t,” Joe says, whining, and Rami laughs.

“Well, you have to,” Rami says. He sits back when the server appears again, a plate of hors d’oeuvres in his hands. “Wow,” he says, and then looks up at Joe. “Those look delicious.”

“You’re telling me,” Joe says. They start to eat, both of them looking out the window almost the entire time, watching the skyline go by.

\+ + + + +

Joe sets down his napkin, then glances back, carefully pushing his chair out when he’s sure no one is walking by him. He walks over to Rami's side of the table and holds his hand out to him. “Will you dance with me?” he asks. “And don’t you dare try telling me you wouldn’t be any good at it,” he says, smiling down at him. “Just let me do all the hard work.”

Rami smiles and nods, reaching up to take Joe’s hand, letting him lead him to the small dance floor where a couple other couples are also dancing. Rami makes a noise of surprise when Joe quickly pulls him in, and he giggles a bit before they settle into a slower rhythm. Rami closes his eyes and settles against Joe, taking a deep breath.

“What are you thinking about?” Joe asks softly, mouth by Rami’s ear.

“What are Ben and Gwil doing tonight?” Rami asks. “I know Gwil told you.”

Joe pulls back, looking at Rami. “Seriously? This is the most romantic night of my life so far and you’re thinking about Ben and Gwil? Babe. Come on.”

Rami grins at him, giving him a kiss. “I’m just teasing,” he says. “Well, I’m not, I do think that Gwil told you—”

“He might’ve,” Joe says.

“But they’re alright, I’m sure,” Rami says. “I’m not thinking about anything other than being here with you right now.”

Joe spins Rami out, and then pulls him back in, grinning at him. “Good,” he says, “because neither am I.”

“This has been the most wonderful trip,” Rami says. “I— when I suggested it, I never thought it would be like this. It’s been absolutely perfect.”

“We’re not done yet,” Joe says. “Still one last stop on the tour tonight. And there’s still tomorrow.”

Rami shakes his head a bit. “We’ve done so much already,” he says, “where else could we possibly be going?”

Joe shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says playfully. “But hey, so far…am I seeing you naked tonight?” he asks, and Rami scoffs, looking away with a smile on his face.

“You’ve done pretty well for yourself, I will say that,” Rami says. “But who knows, maybe I’ll just be too tired once we get back.”

Joe bites his lip and leans in, close to Rami so that he can whisper, voice low. “I’ve been thinking about it all day,” he says, and Rami swallows hard, “I’ve wanted to suck your co—”

“Joe, we’re in public,” Rami says, pulling back a bit, and Joe grins at him.

“I know,” Joe says, winking at him. “Just getting you all hot and bothered for when we get back to the hotel room.” He carefully dips Rami low, and smiles at him. “You’re just so easy to get all riled up,” he says, lifting him back up.

“Well, don’t tease,” Rami says, “or I’m going to spend the rest of the night adjusting my trousers.”

Joe laughs loudly, and Rami just shakes his head a bit, leaning in to kiss him again. “There are worse things I can imagine than watching you adjust yourself all night,” he says, and Rami laughs.

“You say the oddest things,” Rami says. “I’m not sure they’re as romantic as you think they are.”

“No, that wasn’t a good one?” Joe asks. “Hmm, gimme a minute, I’ll think of something else.” He looks up, playfully pretending to think.

“You’re the love of my life,” Rami says, and Joe looks at him. “And every person here is jealous that I get to dance with you.” He smiles.

Joe looks at him for a couple moments, and then shakes his head in disbelief. “Well, fuck, yeah, that is more romantic than my line.”

Rami starts to laugh. “Isn’t it?” he says. “I guess I’m just that good.”

“Wait,” Joe says, “did you really mean it? Or did you say it just to make me feel bad?”

“Oh, I meant it,” Rami says, swaying to the music. “But if it also makes you feel bad, then that’s just a bonus.”

Joe snorts, and laughs, shaking his head. “Okay, fine, message received,” he says. “No more talking about adjusting yourself.”

“At least not tonight,” Rami says. “I know I can’t expect you to change for forever.”

“It’s the way Americans operate,” Joe says. “We just say whatever.”

“Maybe you should consider adopting a stiff upper lip,” Rami says.

Joe rolls his eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asks, dipping Rami again, lower than before, making Rami shriek in surprise, starting to laugh. He lifts Rami back up, smiling. “You know what I’m thinking about?” he asks.

“I assume my trousers again,” Rami says, and Joe thinks for a moment.

“Well, _yes_,” he says, and Rami shakes his head a bit, “but mostly…I’m thinking about our wedding.”

Rami looks at Joe, smiling. “Really?” he asks softly.

Joe nods. “And our first dance,” he says. “Everybody we love is going to be there, watching us. It’s gonna be the best day of my life.”

“You know that already?” Rami asks.

Joe nods again. “Yeah, I do,” he says, and then he playfully gasps. “I do! Get it?”

Rami sighs, shaking his head. “God,” he mutters, “at least life with you will always be interesting,” he says, and he lets Joe spin him out again.

“I can definitely promise you that,” Joe says, pulling Rami in to give him a kiss.

\+ + + + +

They walk down the sidewalk together, arms swinging between them, until Joe finally stops, squeezing his hand. “This is it,” Joe says, and Rami glances at him, then at the entrance to the building, not sure what it is. “Up,” Joe says, and Rami looks at him again, and Joe nudges him, then points up. “Up,” he says again.

Rami looks up, then braces himself against Joe so that he can lean a bit further back, trying to see all the way to the top. “Are we going all the way up there?” he asks.

“Not _all_ the way, no,” Joe says. “Just to the 86th floor.”

“Wow,” Rami says, looking back at Joe. “That’s…high.”

“That sounds okay?” Joe asks. Rami glances over at him, and nods. “I just wanted you to see it.”

“Yeah, it sounds perfect,” Rami says. Joe leads them in and they go through security, not taking long that time of night, and up the elevators, sharing eager looks and squeezing each other’s hands as they wait. When they get to the observation deck, Rami gasps a bit as they step outside, and he looks around, hurrying a couple feet out “It’s…wow.” He looks back at Joe. “Wow,” he says again, laughing a bit. “This is so…the city is so pretty.”

Joe takes him by the hand, leading him over towards the edge. “Quite the view, huh?” he asks, and Rami nods. “I never really got why movies always made it seem _that_ romantic,” he says, “but I guess it kind of is, huh?”

Rami looks over at Joe, and nods. “It is, yes,” he says softly. “This is absolutely marvellous,” he says. “I…I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is taller than the Shard, isn’t it?”

Joe nods. “I think, so, yeah. Not too shabby.”

“No, not at all,” Rami says. “I— thank you for bringing me here.”

“Of course,” Joe says. “I— I wanted you to see everything.”

“You’ve always wanted me to,” Rami says, “ever since the beginning. Do you— I— that day, in Perth, when we were still at the Space Operations Centre. You wanted to take me out for ice cream.”

Joe smiles faintly. “I did,” he says. “I realize now…maybe it was a bad idea.”

“I may also have overreacted,” Rami says, smiling back, “but it was still a lovely suggestion. You just wanted me to be happy. To see something I hadn’t before.”

“Yeah, of course,” Joe says. “That was the point of the program.”

Rami nods. “I know,” he says, “but…it was always more than the program. You were so kind to me, from the very start. You wanted to find me more books, and you taught me how to say ‘cool’ and didn’t laugh at me. You never laughed at me. Even with all my silly questions and—”

“They weren’t silly,” Joe says. “They were…just questions. That you wanted the answers to. I just wanted to help.”

“You wanted to make me happy,” Rami says.

Joe smiles. “Well, that’s true,” he says, “I can’t deny that.”

Rami nods, looking around the observation deck. He takes Joe by the hand, leading a bit further away from the rest of the people, though there’s nowhere up there that’s completely empty. 

“What’s going on?” Joe asks.

“Nothing,” Rami says, “I just— I wanted to…well, I’d like to say something. If that’s alright?”

Joe smiles. “Of course,” he says, “whatever it is, I’m all ears.” He shifts on his feet, looking at Rami. “Is this my surprise?” he asks.

Rami smiles and nods, and then reaches his hand into his pocket, taking out a ring box. He looks down at it, and then back up at Joe.

Joe smiles at it. “What’s that?” he asks. 

“It’s…” Rami opens the box, revealing a black titanium wedding band within. “It’s a ring,” he says softly. 

“So who’s the lucky guy?” Joe asks.

Rami laughs softly, playfully nudging at Joe. “You are, hopefully,” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks. “Yeah, I am. What’s…what’s going on then?”

“Do you like it?” Rami asks.

“I do,” Joe says, “but you’re usually supposed to propose first, I think.”

Rami laughs and nods. “Uh, right, sorry,” he says. “I’m not as good at this part as you are.”

“No, you’re perfect,” Joe says. “I…this is perfect.”

“I uh, I know we’re engaged already, obviously,” Rami says, shifting a bit on his feet. “And I just, well, I— uh, sorry, I think I’m a bit—”

“Take your time,” Joe says, “it’s nerve-racking, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is,” Rami says, “I respect you a lot more now,” he says, starting to laugh a bit again. "And I know that you'll say yes." He takes a deep breath, looking out at the city. A couple people walk by them, and he watches them to make sure they’re out of earshot before he starts to speak again. “Joe?”

“Yeah?” Joe says.

“I love my ring,” Rami says. “I love it, because I get to look at it, and think about how much you love me. And because other people see it, and they know that I’m loved. That we’re in love. It’s— I love my ring, because you gave it to me.” He swallows hard, tongue wetting his lips. “So I wanted to give you this.” He carefully takes the ring out of the box, turning to Joe. “I want you to wear it, and know how much I love you. How much you are loved. Joe, I— I want you to marry me. Will you marry me?”

Joe grins, cupping Rami’s face, pulling him in for a kiss, moving against him until Rami’s moaning softly, and then he pulls back. “I will marry you a thousand times,” he says, and gives Rami his hand, watching as Rami slides the ring onto his finger. “This is the best fucking surprise I’ve ever— that anyone’s ever given me.”

“Really?” Rami asks. “I know it’s— it’s odd, well, we’re already engaged—”

“I don’t care,” Joe says, “this is amazing. I— I love it. I love you.” He looks down at the ring, and then kisses Rami again. “I love it. You— when— man, I…I’m engaged!” He looks up at Rami, grinning. “I’m engaged. You proposed to me.”

Rami nods, laughing softly. “I— well, you did it first, but…that’s alright. It’s…I just— know, well, I thought, really…I wanted you to know that someone loves you enough to propose to you. I know you love me, and you take care of me, and you do so much, and I worry that sometimes you forget that you— you’re smart, and kind, and beautiful, and I love you _so_ much.” He blinks a couple times, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. “I want to be your husband, and I want you to be mine.”

“Babe, I…” Joe slowly shakes his head. “I mean, I’d be lying if I said that…I mean, I didn’t know that this was going to happen for me. I’d— before you showed up, I’d kind of given up on it, you know? I thought Ben and I were just going to be alone together until one of us died. And then the other one would immediately die too so we didn’t have to be alone by ourselves.” He smiles and Rami laughs softly. “I love you so much I don’t even…I can’t even really say.”

“I love you too,” Rami says. He leans in, kissing him. “All that sort of sounds like wedding vows, don’t they?”

Joe laughs a bit. “I’d marry you right now if I could,” he says.

Rami smiles. “I think Ben and Gwil would be a bit upset that they missed it.”

Joe shrugs. “Eh, fuck ‘em.”

“Joe!” Rami exclaims, laughing loudly.

“_Joking_,” Joe says, but the look on his face tells Rami that he isn’t, not completely.

Rami smiles at him, and leans against the railing, looking out. He sighs a little, and Joe reaches out, taking his hand.

“You okay?” Joe asks.

“Yes,” Rami says, “just thinking. I…I remember when this was built, you know.”

Joe grins. “So I heard.”

“And now I’m here,” Rami says, “with my fiancé. It’s just…if you want to talk about things that I didn’t think were going to happen, this has got to be number one.” He looks at Joe. “I’m just really happy, is all.”

“Good,” Joe says. “That’s all I want. Well, not _all_ I want. But it’s top of the list.”

“Oh?” Rami asks, turning to face him, clasping his hands together behind Joe’s neck. “And what else is on the list?” 

“Well, I want Gwil and Ben to be happy,” Joe says. “And Augie. And my family. And your family.”

“Okay, so you want everyone you’ve ever met to be happy,” Rami says, smiling. “That’s very kind.”

“I just want…I don’t know,” Joe says. “I’m excited to see what happens. When you’re done school and when Ben and Gwil are working again, I— you know, where are we going to be, where are we going to live, what are we gonna do? I— I don’t know. I think I’m just like, yeah. I’m happy. I really am. Like I wouldn’t change a thing.” He immediately makes a face. “No, I— I didn’t mean that.”

“I know,” Rami says softly, “it’s okay.”

“God,” Joe says, “and I just visited him today.”

“It’s alright,” Rami says, “he wouldn’t be upset.”

“And your family, I…” Joe shakes his head. 

“Joe, none of them would be upset to hear that we’re happy,” Rami says, “I promise. You don’t have to feel guilty.”

“I know,” Joe says. He sighs, shaking his head. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Rami says. He smiles, kissing Joe quickly, then resting against him. “Is this the last stop on our date?” he asks.

“Why?” Joe asks. “Trying to get rid of me already?”

Rami laughs loudly. “No,” he says, “I was just thinking about what you said at dinner.”

“Ooh,” Joe says. “So I get to see you naked?”

Rami rolls his eyes. “Joe, I proposed to you tonight. You were _always_ going to get to see me naked.” Joe laughs at that. “I just want to stay here for a bit longer though, if that’s alright. I— this view is so lovely.”

Joe looks Rami up and down, smirking. “You’re telling me.”

Rami pulls back, trying not to laugh. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to give me quite the ego.”

“I haven’t already?” Joe asks. “Dang, alright, let me work on that a bit.”

Rami smiles, and looks out at the city. “A year ago we were in your flat in Perth,” he says.

Joe smiles, leaning against him. “A year ago I was already so fucking in love with you,” he says.

“I think I was too,” Rami says. “I don’t know if I knew it, I was scared to death, but…” He smiles. “After we kissed, I wanted to keep kissing you.”

“Oh yeah?” Joe asks. “So why did we not spend that night making out?”

Rami looks over at him. “Because I knew once we started I’d never want to stop,” he says. He bites down on his lip, smirking a bit. “I wasn’t ready to kiss you for the first time _and_ lose my virginity in the same night.”

“Ooh, babe,” Joe says, “that’s so naughty.” 

Rami laughs, and shifts next to Joe, tongue coming out to wet his lips. “I’m not a virgin anymore though,” he says, voice low.

Joe raises his eyebrows, looking at Rami with an impressed expression on his face. “Babe, are you dirty-talking me on the Empire State Building?”

Rami bites down on his lip, and then laughs softly, smiling. “We’re on holiday, aren’t we?” he says. “It’s fun.”

“It is,” Joe says. 

Rami looks back out at the city. “Are we far from the hotel?” he asks.

Joe shakes his head. “I don’t know, maybe…20 minutes on the subway?”

“Okay,” Rami says. “Let’s stay for a little longer, okay?” Joe nods. “It’s just so pretty from up here.” He smiles when Joe wraps his arm around his waist, settling against him. “Happy anniversary, Joe.”

Joe smiles, leaning in to kiss Rami’s neck. “Happy anniversary.”

\+ + + + +

Joe glances at Ben and Gwil’s hotel room as they walk by, and he playfully tries to press his ear against it, until Rami tugs at his arm. “What?” Joe asks. “I just wanna know if they’re back safely yet or not. It’s a dangerous city.”

Rami rolls his eyes, laughing. “No, you want to hear them shagging.”

“Well, if they’re in there, they’re about to hear us shagging,” Joe says, unlocking the door, heading into the room.

Rami locks the door behind him, wetting his lips as he leans against the door, watching as Joe immediately starts unbuttoning his shirt.

Joe looks over at him, shrugging his shirt off, leaving it on the floor. “You just gonna watch?” he asks, reaching down to tug off his socks, and then he starts on his trousers. “Kinky.”

Rami smiles and starts unbuttoning his shirt as well, letting it fall to the floor, and then he walks over to Joe, sitting down on the mattress and reaching out to start tugging down Joe’s boxer-briefs.

Joe smiles, turning towards Rami, stepping out of his underwear, kicking them to the side. He pushes at Rami’s chest until Rami pushes himself up, moving towards the head of the mattress. He reaches down, tugging off his socks, tossing them to the side, and then Joe is between his legs, leaning down to start kissing his way down Rami’s chest. He reaches up with one hand, starting to massage Rami through his trousers, and Rami gasps, pressing his head back against the pillows.

Joe shifts, moving a bit further down, pressing his mouth to Rami through the fabric, then he reaches up, undoing the button, and tugging the zipper down. “God, I thought about this all day,” he murmurs, tugging down Rami’s trousers and his underwear far enough until he can wrap his hand around Rami. He pulls him out, immediately opening his mouth around him, taking him in.

“Joe, oh god, fuck,” Rami whimpers.

Joe groans softly, and pulls off, wetting his lips, looking up at Rami. “I love it when you’ve got a dirty mouth,” he says, “you have no idea how fucking hot you sound.” He swallows hard and then takes Rami into his mouth again, slowly moving down.

Rami cups the back of Joe’s head with one hand, the other digging into the mattress. “God, Joe, yes,” he gasps, “fuck, ah,” his voice breaks into a whine and he squeezes his eyes shut. His teeth drag against his bottom lip and he whimpers as Joe moans around him. He lifts his hips a bit when Joe starts tugging on his trousers, then settles back down. “_Fuck_,” he cries out when Joe reaches up, gently tracing his fingers over Rami’s balls, and Rami’s thighs clench, starting to shake.

Joe pulls off and wets his lips, then kisses his way down Rami’s cock, stroking him, then he lowers his mouth, gently sucking on one of his balls, and Rami cries out loudly.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” Rami says, fingers curling into Joe’s hair, “oh my god, Joe.”

Joe lifts his head up, licking at the head of Rami’s cock, still stroking him as he watches Rami. “Do you wanna fuck me?” he asks. “Or do you want me to fuck you?” He takes Rami into his mouth again, suckling gently.

“Unhh,” Rami whines, both hands clutching at Joe now. “I— oh god,” he gasps, “I…Joe,” he says, taking a deep breath. Joe carefully bobs up and down, gripping at Rami’s thigh. “I don’t know,” Rami says, “I don’t— mm, fuck, I don’t— Joe.” He bites down on his lip again, starting to gently rock his hips on the mattress, thrusting up into Joe’s mouth. “Fuck me,” he gasps, “I want— fuck me, oh god, I wanna come, I want,” he whimpers a bit when Joe takes him even deeper, “oh, ung, Joe, I’m—” He practically cries out when Joe pulls off him, and he lifts his head. “Why did you stop?” he asks.

“How am I supposed to fuck you if I’m still down there sucking you off,” Joe says, climbing off the bed. “Even I’m not that good,” he says, walking over to their bag, quickly grabbing the lube and a condom. 

Rami takes a couple deep breaths and then lifts his hips, finally shoving down his trousers and underwear, kicking them off to the side. He reaches out to Joe, who smirks, climbing back on the mattress, settling between Rami’s legs.

“What was that you said about me wanting to fuck you?” he murmurs, licking a spot on Rami’s neck, reaching between them to starting stroking him again.

“Please,” Rami says, twisting to look at him. “I— I want you to,” he says.

Joe smiles, pushing himself up onto his knees, opening the lube. He spreads it on a couple of his fingers and then leans forward to kiss Rami as he reaches between his legs, gently circling his fingers before starting to press into him.

Rami gasps softly and then smiles faintly up at Joe. 

“Okay?” Joe asks.

“Mm-hmm,” Rami nods, “it’s okay.”

“Good,” Joe says, giving him another kiss. He licks into Rami’s mouth, deepening the kiss as he curls his fingers and starts rubbing inside him.

“Mm,” Rami groans, head pressing back against the pillows. “That’s— oh,” he lets out a shaky breath. 

Joe chuckles softly, working his fingers, shifting on his knees. He leans down, bracing himself against the mattress with his other hand, mouth by Rami’s ear. “How do you want it?” he asks.

“Huh?” Rami asks, eyes fluttering a couple times as Joe curls his fingers harder. “What— oh god, what do you mean?”

Joe smiles at Rami, kissing his neck. “Do you want soft and sweet?” he asks, kissing him again. “Or something else?”

“I don’t know, Joe,” Rami whimpers, trying to move his hips against Joe’s hand, “just fuck me, please?”

Joe laughs softly, “okay, I can do that,” he says, and he carefully withdraws his fingers from Rami, and then he grabs Rami’s hips, tugging him down the bed until they’re flush together, Joe’s cock pressed up against Rami. “Like this?” he asks, starting to rock his hips a bit, sliding against Rami.

“Uh-huh,” Rami nods eagerly, “yes, like this.”

Joe smiles and then reaches over, grabbing the lube again. “Just a bit longer babe,” he says, opening it and pouring more on his fingers, pressing three into Rami this time. 

Rami spreads his legs and lets Joe tilt his hips back a bit, and he curls his hand into the comforter, gripping onto it as he starts rocking his hips against Joe’s hand again, moaning softly but steadily. His toes curl the longer Joe keeps stretching him, and he’s aching, precum dribbling out and wetting his stomach. He wants to reach down and take himself in hand, but he’s worried if he does he’ll come too soon. After what feels like _forever_, Joe carefully drags his fingers away from him and then reaches down, grabbing the condom. He expects to feel Joe pressing into him, but instead he just hears Joe make a quiet sound, like he’s…amused by something, and Rami shifts, pushing himself up a bit, leaning back on his elbows. “What?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Joe says, shaking his head a bit as he fumbles with the condom wrapper.

“Joe?” Rami asks, sitting up all the way, reaching out to take his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Joe says again, “nothing. It’s the exact opposite of wrong." Rami frowns a bit, and then Joe lifts his hand. Rami glances down, and doesn’t understand, looking back up at Joe. “You proposed,” Joe says, and Rami smiles.

“I did,” Rami says, moving closer to Joe.

“I…I love it,” Joe says, and he shifts, uncurling his legs from under him, sitting down instead of kneeling. He smiles at his ring, and then leans forward, kissing Rami. “You didn’t have to, you know,” he says.

“I know,” Rami says, wrapping his arms around Joe’s neck, moving closer until he’s straddling Joe, settling against him with a smile. “You didn’t have to propose to me either, though.”

“I kind of did,” Joe says. “I didn't really see any other option.”

“Well, neither did I,” Rami says, fingers gently playing with the hair at the back of Joe’s neck. “I like seeing you in that.” He reaches out, taking Joe’s hand in his, smiling again. “If you don’t like it—”

“I love it,” Joe says quickly, surging forward to give Rami a kiss. “I love you. Have I told you lately how happy you make me?”

Rami grins. “I think you tell me every day,” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks, and Rami nods. “Hmm. Can I tell you again?”

“Yes, if you’d like,” Rami says.

“Okay,” Joe says. He taps Rami on the ass a couple times until he lifts himself up a bit, then Joe opens the condom, quickly and carefully rolling it down, grabbing the lube. As he strokes himself a couple times, he smiles at Rami. He wraps one arm around Rami’s waist, and takes himself in his other hand, sliding against Rami a couple times before the head of his cock starts pressing into Rami.

“Ah,” Rami gasps softly, head going back a bit as he starts to slowly sink down onto Joe.

“I love you,” Joe murmurs, pressing a kiss to Rami’s Adam’s apple, and again when Rami swallows hard, Adam’s apple bobbing. “You make me happier than I’ve ever been,” he says, and Rami nods, teeth dragging across his bottom lip. “I wake up, and— god,” he groans, then smiles, “just like that, babe,” he murmurs, kissing Rami. “And I see you,” he continues, “and…” Joe kisses Rami’s neck again, grip on him tightening as Rami starts to rock back and forth gently. “I never want to wake up without you. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Rami says, fingers digging into Joe, starting to move a little faster against him. “God, I love you,” he says. “I never thought I’d find,” he gasps, “god, never— oh, fuck Joe.”

Joe chuckles softly, kissing Rami’s neck, then his cheek, and finally his lips. “Distracted by something?” he asks, amused.

“Stop it,” Rami mutters, playfully hitting Joe on the arm, “how—” he gasps, and shifts, so that he can drag his cock over Joe’s stomach without having to touch himself, “how are you still talking?” he asks.

Joe laughs, and then adjusts his grip on Rami so that he can thrust up, and Rami moans loudly, slumping forward against Joe, his forehead pressed to his shoulder. “Practice,” he says, and Rami whimpers. “Maybe I should put my mouth to better use,” he murmurs into Rami’s ear. “You’re so tight around my cock.”

“Joe,” Rami whines, “please.”

“Please, what?” Joe asks. “Ask for it.”

“I don’t know,” Rami mutters, “just…” He groans. “I wanna come,” he says, lifting his head up, looking at Joe, his pupils wide, and he looks a bit unfocused. “Feels so good,” he says softly, mostly to himself.

“Yeah?” Joe asks.

“Mm-hmm,” Rami murmurs, and he starts bouncing a bit faster, clearly trying to chase his orgasm, not caring if it’s too quick or not. “Joe,” he whimpers, “fuck.”

“As soon as I touch you, you’re going to come, aren’t you?” Joe asks, licking at Rami’s ear.

“Yes,” Rami says, “yes, I wanna come, make me come.”

“You want me to touch you?” Joe asks, and he moves his hand, dragging it over Rami’s hip, skirting by his dick but not touching him. 

“_Joe_, please,” Rami says.

“You wanna come?” Joe asks.

“_Yes_,” Rami cries out in frustration and Joe smiles, finally wrapping his hand around Rami, starting to stroke him, grip firm, but not too fast, but it still doesn’t take Rami long before his fingers curl and dig into Joe and he cries out, voice breaking as he comes, shooting onto Joe’s hand.

Joe kisses Rami, mouth opening to his, and he holds onto his hips, rocking into him, until Joe comes as well, holding Rami close, groaning loudly into Rami’s mouth. He thrusts up a couple more times, mouth dropping to Rami’s shoulder, and he takes a few deep breaths.

Rami moans, running his fingers absentmindedly over Joe’s back and shoulders, as they come down together, heart rates slowing. After a minute or two, Rami pulls back a bit and shifts on Joe’s lap, starting to laugh a bit.

“Great,” Joe says, still panting a bit, “that’s what every guy wants to hear after sex. Laughter.”

“I’m sorry,” Rami says, bracing himself against Joe as he lifts himself up, Joe slipping out of him, and he settles back on Joe’s lap, “it’s not you. I just,” he swallows hard, shifting to hide his face from Joe, “I still feel so silly afterwards.”

“What, why?” Joe asks. “That was amazing.”

Rami groans, and lets go of Joe, shifting so that he can lay back on the mattress, looking up at him. “The things I say, it’s just silly.”

“I think it’s sexy as fuck,” Joe says. He moves to lay down next to Rami, but then he looks down at the condom he’s still wearing and groans. “Just a second,” he says, pushing himself up off the bed, heading into the bathroom.

Rami shifts on the bed, a bit uncomfortably as he can still feel the lube on him. 

Joe comes back out a minute later, wet washcloth and a hand towel with him, and climbs onto the mattress next to Rami, wiping off his stomach, and then handing the cloth to Rami to quickly run between his legs, and then dry himself off with the towel. “You want a shower before bed?” Joe asks, curling up on his side next to Rami, reaching out to run his fingers over Rami’s stomach and ribs, watching him shiver.

Rami smiles. “Can we have a bath?” he asks.

Joe smiles back, and nods. “That sounds nice,” he says. “I don’t think Gwil and Ben would fit into the bathtub together.”

Rami laughs softly. “Why are you bringing them up?” he asks.

Joe shrugs. “Sorry,” he says, and Rami laughs again.

“It’s alright,” he says, “as long as you’re not wishing I was one of them right now.”

“Gwil, definitely,” Joe says, laughing when Rami playfully pushes at him. “Sorry, did I say that out loud?”

“You’re awful,” Rami says. He smiles, rolling onto his side, looking at Joe. “It’s our anniversary,” he says softly.

“It is,” Joe says. “One year.” He reaches down, taking Rami’s hand in his. 

“Was it a good year?” Rami asks.

Joe smiles. “The best year,” he says. “Well. It had some…”

“Less good moments,” Rami says, and they both laugh softly. “That’s over now, though.”

“It is, yeah,” Joe says, leaning in to give Rami a gentle kiss. “Nothing but blue skies ahead now.” Rami nods, snuggling closer to him. “You want that bath now?” Joe asks, and Rami nods. “Are you going to fall asleep in it?” he asks.

Rami laughs softly. “Maybe,” he says.

“Why don’t we wait until the morning then?” Joe asks, running his fingers up Rami’s arm.

“Don’t we have plans tomorrow morning?” Rami asks.

“Ugh, yes,” Joe asks.

Rami pushes himself up, looking down at Joe. “Don’t _ugh, yes_ me, you’re the one who booked it!”

“_Fine_,” Joe says. “Okay. We can have a bath now, or we can get up earlier tomorrow to do it then.” Rami looks at Joe, just blinking a couple times. “Well?” Joe asks.

“They both sound like terrible ideas,” Rami says, and Joe laughs. But then Rami turns and looks away, trying to stifle his yawn, and Joe just shakes his head. 

“Tomorrow morning it is," Joe says.

“No, now,” Rami says, starting to climb off the bed, but Joe reaches out to grasp his wrist, tugging him back down. “Joe, you and I both know we’re not getting up early tomorrow.”

“You and I both know you’re gonna pass out as soon as you get in there,” Joe says.

“Then let’s just not bathe again until we’re back to London,” Rami says.

“Yeah, that sounds great,” Joe says, and Rami smiles. “Stink up the whole plane. You can sit next to someone else.”

“I’m awake enough, I promise,” Rami says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks, and Rami nods. “Okay. I’ll go start the water then.”

“Okay,” Rami agrees, watching Joe as he climbs off the bed, heading into the bathroom.

Joe looks at himself in the mirror, smiling and shaking his head. He turns on the water in the bathtub, but doesn’t plug it, because he knows that Rami is going to asleep in approximately three minutes, max. He flosses, and brushes his teeth, quickly washing up. He reaches in, turning off the water, and then walks back out into the room, where Rami’s curled up on his side, eyes closed. Joe smiles and leans down, wrapping his arms around Rami, starting to lift him up.

“Joe?” Rami murmurs.

“Yeah, babe,” Joe says, “it’s time for bed, okay?” He holds onto Rami, reaching down to tug at the blankets, pulling them back far enough for Rami to get in.

“Okay,” Rami says sleepily, nodding. He pulls the blankets up, and Joe walks over to the air conditioning unit, turning it up a bit, and then he walks over to his side of the bed, climbing in as well. He pulls up the blankets, lifting his head to adjust his pillows. Before he forgets, he reaches over to grab his phone, setting his alarm, and then he rolls onto his side, looking at Rami. “Good night,” he says, pressing a kiss to Rami’s shoulder.

Rami makes a quiet noise and lets out a breath, and Joe just smiles, looking at him.

\+ + + + +

Joe blinks a couple times, lifting his head up as he takes a deep breath, looking around the room. There’s light streaming in through the crack in the curtains, so he knows it’s morning, but the alarm isn’t what woke him, and Rami’s not in bed. He sits up and yawns, glancing over at the clock. They’ve still got awhile before they have to leave, but still, he’s surprised that Rami woke up before the alarm, especially after a night like last night. He finally groans and pushes himself up out of bed, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck as he walks towards the bathroom.

“Oh,” Rami says, coming out of the bathroom, “I was just coming to wake you up. Good morning.”

Joe smiles, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. “Morning,” he says. “You're up.”

Rami nods, smiling up at him. “I am,” he says. “As I should be, since I fell asleep early last night.”

Joe laughs softly. “You did, but I’m not mad about it,” he says. “Just means I fucked you so hard—”

“Okay, yes,” Rami says, “but still, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not,” Joe says. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Well still,” Rami says, taking Joe’s hand, “I’m glad you’re awake.” He turns, leading Joe into the bathroom, glancing over at him.

“Well well,” Joe says, looking at the bathtub, filled with hot water and bubbles, “this is a surprise.”

“If you’re still in the mood,” Rami says, “I know we have time, but…”

“No, this looks nice,” Joe says.

“Okay, good,” Rami says, smiling at him. He climbs into the bathtub first, settling against the back, and then he reaches his hand out to Joe who takes it, climbing in with him. Joe carefully sits down, his back against Rami’s chest, settling against him. 

“This is amazing,” Joe murmurs, skimming his hand over the surface of the hot water. “Now, what were we doing a year ago today?” he asks.

Rami smiles, brushing his nose against Joe’s hair, taking a deep breath. “Snogging in your kitchen while you were making me tea.”

“Was that _today_?” Joe asks, and Rami laughs. “Seems like just yesterday.”

“It really does sometimes,” Rami says softly. He reaches down, taking Joe’s hand, looking at his engagement ring. “I love you,” he says, and Joe smiles, turning so that he can look back at Rami.

“I love you too,” he says, and Rami smiles back.

“Turn around, I’ll wash your back,” Rami says, and Joe raises his eyebrows. 

“Well, getting the real nice treatment today,” Joe says. “You know our anniversary is over.”

“It’s still _an_ anniversary,” Rami says, reaching out to grab the body wash, pouring some out into his hand. “Do you remember what you told me, that night, after the cinema?” he asks, starting to rub the gel into Joe’s shoulders.

“Hmm,” Joe says, groaning softly as he thinks. “I know I told you I fell for you the first time you smiled at me,” he says, and Rami chuckles.

“Yes, you did,” he says.

“What else though…” Joe says. “Uh. I remember having to tell you that yes, dating is still a thing,” and Rami snorts. “I don’t know, no. What?”

“You told me,” Rami starts, “that I didn’t have to worry anymore, that now you have me.”

Joe smiles. “That’s right, I did,” he says. “I meant it too. Still do.”

“I know you do,” Rami says, pressing a kiss to the back of Joe’s neck. “But you know that I have you too, right? I know you like to take care of me, but you know that I’d do anything for you too, right?”

“I know,” Joe says, nodding. “I do.”

Rami nods. “If you promise you do, okay,” he says. “You spent so long taking care of Ben, and then taking care of me…I just want you to feel taken care of too.” He kisses Joe again, and then starts rinsing off his shoulders. “I love you,” he says softly.

“You already told me that,” Joe says.

Rami smiles, and wraps his arms around Joe’s shoulders, pulling him closer. “Well, I’m going to say it all the time then,” he says, “you have to hear it at least a dozen more times today, how much I love you and how wonderful you are. What do you think about that?”

Joe laughs, resting back against Rami’s chest. “I mean, I guess I could get used to it,” he says. “It doesn’t sound too bad.”

Rami smiles again. “Good. I love you,” he says, and Joe just rolls his eyes a bit.

“Thank you,” he says. “I love you too.”

Rami nods, kissing Joe’s shoulder. “I’m looking forward to today,” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks. “Yeah, me too, it should be fun.”

Rami nods again. “I’m looking forward to every day now,” he says. He smiles when Joe looks back at him.

“Yeah?” Joe asks, and Rami nods. “Yeah, me too.”

Rami grins, and leans forward, giving Joe a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • Rami and Joe date nighhhhhtttt they are so soft and sweet to write.  
• I know Rami's surprise wasn't like, a BIG surprise, but I hope you still liked it.  
• it's just important to him that Joe knows Rami loves him and thinks he's beautiful too.  
• I hope my family isn't the only one that always ends up having a bit of a fight when people visit.  
• no big deal though, Joe was just stressed! Mary's just stressed. I mean, she still says yes to being his egg donor so.  
• and they still hung out with the babies! people really liked those kids last time.  
• I hope you liked it. cheers to everyone who still indulges me and reads this!  
• next up is Ben and Gwil's date night too :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> « again, the explicit rating applies to this chapter, and I also updated with new tags »

“Will you tape it at least?” Joe asks, and Ben sighs, walking into the hotel room. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” Joe calls after him. Ben just smiles and shakes his head, hearing Joe say goodnight to Gwil before he heads off. Ben drops down on the bed, pushing himself up by the pillows, looking over at Gwil, who’s closing the door behind him.

Gwil smiles at Ben, walking over, looking down at him. “Oh, is it time for bed?” he asks.

Ben shrugs, smiling back. “Well, you won’t tell me where we’re going, so…I don’t know, _do_ I have a time for a bit of sleep?” he asks.

Gwil glances down at his watch, and then shakes his head. “Not really, love, no.”

Ben groans dramatically, then laughs a bit. “It’s not really fair that Joe knows where we’re going and I don’t.”

“Well, if you really think it’s so horrible, we’ll just cancel then, yeah?” Gwil teases.

“No!” Ben says quickly. “No, that’s alright. I’m…cautiously excited,” he says. “I just…how should I dress?” he asks.

Gwil shrugs. “However you’d like, there’re no dress codes.” He looks down at his clothes. “I’ll probably change, but you don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” He walks over to his bag and crouches down, taking out a new pair of shorts and a button-up t-shirt. 

Ben rolls onto his side, curling up tiredly for a moment, watching Gwil get changed, and then watching as Gwil goes into the washroom, and he hears the sink running. When Gwil comes out, his hair a bit tidier, a bit more styled, and Ben smiles. “You look handsome today,” he says.

“Only today?” Gwil asks. “Well, I suppose I’ll have to try harder then.” He smiles, sitting down on the edge of the mattress, looking down at Ben. “I don’t want to press, but…”

“We have to go, yes,” Ben says, pushing himself up. “I know. I’m ready.” He looks down at what he’s wearing. “Is this really alright?” he asks.

“You look lovely,” Gwil says, leaning in to press a kiss to Ben’s forehead. 

“You say that,” Ben says, “but will _other_ pe—”

“You’re fine, Ben,” Gwil says, “I promise.”

“Okay,” Ben says finally, nodding. He stands up and then pats his pockets for his wallet and his phone and then smiles at Gwil. “Okay, I’m ready,” he says.

“Good,” Gwil says. He also makes sure he has his phone and his wallet, and the spare room key. Then he reaches out, taking Ben’s hand, and they head out of their room and down towards the lobby. “You’re not too hungry now, are you?” he asks, glancing at Ben, who shakes his head. “Good. Supper is in the plans, just not for a couple hours. That’s fine?”

“Yes, of course,” Ben says. He smiles up at Gwil. “I am quite proud of you, you know,” he says.

“For what?” Gwil asks.

“Planning some sort of surprise for me,” Ben says, “in a city you’ve never been to. In a _country_ you’ve never been to.”

“Well,” Gwil says, “Joe helped.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Ben says, “but still. I still remember when you were worried you wouldn’t be able to figure out how to work the tele.”

“Still am, sometimes,” Gwil says, and he smiles at Ben. “We’ve got to take the tube,” he says. “Joe’s figured it out for me, I’ve got instructions on my phone.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Ben says. “Not even a little bit worried. How could we get lost in New York? It’s a bloody grid.”

“Well, we’re going off the grid,” Gwil says. 

“We are?” Ben asks. “Quite literally, I suppose.” Gwil nods. “Well then, lead the way, I can’t wait to see where we end up.”

“I hope you like it,” Gwil says.

“I’m sure I will,” Ben says. “I think you know me well enough by now. It’s not a hall of mirrors, is it?”

Gwil chuckles softly, shaking his head. “No, love, it’s not.”

“Then let’s go,” Ben says.

They manage to find two seats on the subway, and Ben keeps holding onto Gwil’s hand, turned towards him a bit. “Is it a long ride?” he asks.

Gwil nods. “It is a bit, yes,” he says, “that’s alright?”

“Of course,” Ben says, “just wondering.” He smiles up at Gwil. “Are you enjoying it here?” he asks.

“In New York?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods. “Yes, I am. It’s been a lovely trip.”

Ben nods again, squeezing Gwil’s hand gently. “Are you sure?” he asks.

Gwil’s brow furrows. “What do you mean?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” Ben says. “Just…wondering. I wasn’t sure, after you started talking about S…Sieffre? Your family,” he says, “at Joe’s.”

“Oh, no,” Gwil says, “I, yes, no, of course I am. That— I do want to meet my family,” he says, “that’s…I do miss them,” he says, and Ben nods. “I always have,” he continues, “and I think about them all the time. Maybe more than I let on.”

“A lot more than you let on,” Ben agrees.

“Yes, well,” Gwil says. He nods slowly, letting out a deep breath, looking around the subway car. He rolls his lips into his mouth, and then glances down at Ben, thinking about why he'd been nervous about this whole trip from the start, why he wasn't entirely…what had been on his mind for the past week. And clearly Ben can tell something's up.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asks, sitting up a bit straighter, looking at Gwil. 

Gwil just shrugs and shakes his head a bit, looking down at his lap, where he’s holding Ben’s hand, and he squeezes gently, rubbing his thumb over Ben’s ring.

“Oh,” Ben says softly. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Gwil says quickly, “if anything, I should be sorry, I— I don’t _mean_ to still think of him, it’s not fair to you, it’s— it’s terrible.”

“Terrible’s a bit of a strong word, I think,” Ben says. “I— I _told_ you, Gwil, and I always mean it, I don’t want you to forget him.” He reaches up, gently cupping Gwil’s cheek. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he says. “I won’t be angry. I want to listen, it's not fair that you should be sad on your own or anything like that. Please.”

Gwil looks at Ben, at the encouraging smile on his face, and groans softly. “Fine, but you— you won’t like it.”

“How bad is it?” Ben asks. “What— just say it, please.”

“Nothing,” Gwil says, “it’s just…I haven’t really even thought of it that much since we’ve been here, but…before we got here. On the plane, and…maybe the first couple days, I kept thinking that, just…” He smiles at Ben. “Rog and I, we'd talked about travelling together. It was a…thing.”

“What sort of thing?” Ben asks.

“The sort that kept getting pushed back,” Gwil says. “We were, I don’t know, we were always so busy. And then we moved to London for the IIS and well, we really didn’t have any time then either.”

“And then you moved to Perth,” Ben says, and Gwil nods.

“Exactly, and I was training all the time,” Gwil says, “and then I—” He swallows, looking away. “Well, I left, didn’t I.”

Ben bites his lip, and then nods. “Yeah, you did,” he says softly.

Gwil takes a couple breaths, and then finally sighs heavily. “Well, we talked about what we’d do when I came back. Figured after a year apart, we’d’ve earned ourselves a holiday. Of course, it was never— we weren’t coming to America or anything like that, but just…I don’t know. Sometimes I think, Rog and I were together so long, we did so much together, but then I come here and I see all the things you can do and see, and I realize that maybe Rog and I didn’t do that much together at all. Visiting beaches in Wales, and going to Cornwall to visit his mam.”

“Was he Cornish?” Ben asks. “Did he speak it or anything?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Gwil says. “They weren’t from there, they moved there when he was young.”

“Hmm,” Ben murmurs, nodding. “I— well, I don’t know, really, but…I think going to beaches in Wales and Cornwall to visit his mum sounds lovely.” He smiles. “I’m— there’s always more to do,” he says, “and you and Roger would have done loads together, I just…that doesn’t mean that what you _did_ do together wasn’t special.” He rests his head against Gwil, taking a deep breath. “Where did you want to go?” he asks.

“I don’t know, really,” Gwil says. “Just…we just wanted to do everything together. He— I’m pleased he lived in Paris for a bit, he did always want to go spend some time there.” He looks down again, silent for a few moments. “I’m sorry, love,” he says. “I— I’ve got a whole lovely day planned out for us and I’m talking about him. Again.” He looks at Ben. “You know I love you, don’t you?”

“I do,” Ben says. 

"I show you that?" Gwil asks.

Ben nods, even as he frowns a bit. “If Roger was some— some ex-boyfriend that you’d fallen out with and you wouldn’t shut up about him and how much you loved him, I admit, I’d be a bit turned off.” Gwil laughs softly. “But— that’s not it, that’s not what happened. It’s a situation that…only nineteen other people have ever been in. Fewer than that, really, because Rami didn’t have someone back then, and I’m sure a few others didn’t either.”

“It’s not fair to you though, love,” Gwil says.

“I think that it’s less fair to you,” Ben says. “Everything that happened to you, I can sit and listen to how you wanted to go to Paris with Roger. It’s not even close to the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Gwil wraps his arm around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him. “You’re kinder to me than I deserve,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to Ben’s temple.

Ben smiles, shaking his head a bit. “I’ve always been exactly as kind to you as you deserve,” he says.

“I think Joe might disagree with that,” Gwil says, and Ben laughs a bit.

“Oh, almost certainly,” Ben says. “But you’re my boyfriend, not him, so I don’t really care what he thinks.”

Gwil laughs. “Oh, I’m also quite sure Joe would love to hear _that_,” he says. “Someone doesn’t care what he thinks? I'm not sure he’d know what to do with himself.”

Ben laughs again. “He’ll just have to deal with it,” he says. He laughs again, then looks up at Gwil. “You know, I liked visiting the beach in Wales with you too,” he says.

“Did you?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods. “I can certainly think of one thing I liked about that day.”

“Just one?” Ben asks, raising his eyebrows. “Well, that’s a bit disappointing.”

“Maybe two,” Gwil says. He leans in, giving Ben a kiss. “Yes, definitely two.”

“Can I ask you something?” Ben asks.

“Anything,” Gwil says, settling back in his seat a bit.

“What the bloody hell were you thinking when you kissed me?” Ben asks.

“What do you mean?” Gwil asks, surprised.

“I mean, you— _that_ was your first move?” Ben says. “You— you didn’t tell me how you felt, you just…grabbed my hand and kissed me.”

Gwil looks at Ben. “Were you mad about it?” he asks. "Because I seem to recall you quite liking it," he says, smiling.

“No, I liked it,” Ben says, “it was a lovely kiss, I just…it surprised me.”

“Well, you didn’t see how fit you looked that day at the beach,” Gwil says. “If you had, you wouldn’t have been surprised.”

Ben snorts, rolling his eyes. “That’s— that’s— wow,” he says, shaking his head a bit. “That’s a line.”

Gwil shrugs. “It’s true,” he says. “I just thought, _wow_, he’s bloody gorgeous, what’s he doing hiding under all these jumpers all the time?”

Ben shifts a bit, tugging at his shirt, and Gwil reaches out, taking his hand. Ben doesn’t say anything, just holds onto Gwil’s hand, and looks forward.

Gwil leans in, kissing Ben’s cheek, and then Ben turns to look at him, and Gwil kisses him on the lips. “If it helps,” Gwil says, “I thought you were brilliant long before I ever saw you without your shirt.”

Ben smiles faintly, and snuggles against Gwil’s side. “It helps a little,” he says. 

“Good,” Gwil says. “Anything else I can do?’

Ben just shakes his head. “No, I’m fine,” he says. He smiles, looking up at Gwil. “I thought you were a rubbish person until I saw you naked.”

Gwil laughs loudly, throwing his head back a bit in surprise, and Ben laughs along with him. “Fair enough, fair enough,” Gwil says, still laughing. “God, alright. Well. Should I get naked now then? Make you feel better?”

“Not just yet,” Ben says. “Let’s see how this date goes first.” He smiles at Gwil. “So far though, hmm, you’ve got some catching up to do.”

Gwil smiles and leans in, kissing Ben again. “Well, let’s just see,” he says. “But I think you’re going to like it.”

\+ + + + +

They get out of the subway, and Gwil glances around, taking out his phone for a moment to orient himself, and then starts walking down the sidewalk.

“Where even are we?” Ben asks, looking around.

Gwil looks at Ben and then playfully shrugs. “I don’t know, where are we?” he asks, and Ben just shakes his head. 

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Ben says, “but I’m going to figure it out.”

“Well, in about a minute, we’ll be there,” Gwil says, smirking, “so yes, I imagine you will.” They turn down another street, and keep walking. Ben keeps looking around, but he doesn’t recognize anything about where they are. They walk by a large car park, and then they see a small set of stairs that Gwil starts up, heading towards a small building that Ben can’t imagine what it is. And then he glances over at a large pole, displaying a bright colouring photograph of some flowers, and he sees that the name of their destination is carved into the stone: Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Gwil glances over at him, noticing the name as well, and then he stops to look at Ben. “I know it’s…not entirely your idea of fun, but—”

“No, it’s lovely,” Ben says, smiling up at him. “I promise, I— I love hearing you talk about what you love.” He follows Gwil into the entrance building, smiling at Gwil when he pays, talking to the employee about what sorts of flowers are in bloom this time of year. Gwil nods his thanks, taking a brochure, and then he reaches back to take Ben’s hand, leading him into the garden. They turn left down the path, and Gwil glances down at the brochure, and then smiles at Ben. “I think you’ll like this one,” he says.

“Oh?” Ben asks, and Gwil nods happily. “Okay then.” They walk down the main path, and then as they turn off onto a smaller one, Gwil looks back at him again. They stop in front of a small sign, and Ben reads it to himself. _Shakespeare Garden: plants from the plays and sonnets of William Shakespeare._ He looks over at Gwil. “Really?”

“Yes,” Gwil says, “all the plants here were mentioned in one of his works.”

“Oh, that’s—” Ben smiles. “I love that.” As they walk, they see that each plant has a small display, with its name written on it, and a quote from Shakespeare’s work. They stop in front of one display, and Gwil looks at the plants, while Ben reads aloud. “_I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, with sweet muskroses, and with eglantine._”

“Where’s that from?” Gwil asks.

“_A Midsummer Night’s Dream_,” Ben says. He smiles, looking around. “Teach me something,” he says suddenly.

“What?” Gwil asks.

“Teach me something,” Ben says again. “About the plants here. Come on, Professor Lee. You can’t have forgotten it all.”

Gwil smiles faintly, shaking his head a bit. “No, I suppose I haven’t. What uh, what do you want to know?”

“Uh,” Ben sighs, looking around. “Uh, I don't know, tell me how— why are violets violet?”

“Why specifically are violets violet, or…”

“Why do flowers have colour?” Ben asks. “That’s what I mean. Big fancy scientist like you, you must know the answer to that.”

Gwil smiles. He looks around, and then walks over to a small bush of pink flowers. “Well, that depends on the colour, Mr. Hardy,” he says, and he looks over at Ben, who’s smiling happily. “Certain flowers, ones that are red, purple, or pink, like these ones, they get their colour from anthocyanins. They’re a class of flavonoids.”

“Right,” Ben says softly.

“But other plants, like pumpkins, or carrots, they get their colour from carotenoids,” Gwil continues. “And chlorophyll provides plants with their green colour.” Ben nods, watching Gwil lean down to gently run his fingers over the petals of a flower. “Now, as for _why_ flowers are colourful,” he says, “that’s for the purposes of reproduction.” He looks up. “Flowers that are bright in colour are meant to attract birds, bees, and other insects in order to help the plants reproduce.”

Ben nods, leaning down to smell an orange flower. “That makes sense, I suppose,” he says. 

“Yeah?” Gwil asks, grinning at Ben. “Would this be an appropriate or inappropriate time to make a reproduction joke?” he asks.

Ben smiles and rolls his eyes. “What, about you…wanting to spread my seeds or something?” he asks.

“Right, that’s terrible, let’s move on,” Gwil says, and Ben laughs. “Anyway,” Gwil says, “plants that reproduce that way also have sweeter fruit. But if a plant reproduces through wind, colour and taste aren’t as important, because they don’t have anything to attract.”

Ben nods again, looking around the garden. “So, uh, sorry,” he says, “this is probably a dumb question then—”

“It’s not,” Gwil says quickly, and Ben smiles at him thankfully.

“The fruit on Luyten,” Ben continues, “you told me it was sweet.” Gwil nods. “So that means…there…were animals, or insects, to spread it?”

“Yes,” Gwil says, “exactly.”

“What were they like?” Ben asks. 

“There weren’t a lot,” Gwil says, “but it appeared most of the pollination was done by a species that…most closely resembled a moth, I’d say.”

“There weren’t any samples of something like that in what you brought back, though,” Ben says, “I’d remember.”

“They were difficult to preserve,” Gwil says. “Trust me, we tried, but their wings disintegrated quickly.” He gives Ben a quick smile and then starts walking through the garden, looking down to examine the plants, reading the small signs beside each of them, nodding and quietly speaking to himself.

Ben watches him for a few moments, and then takes a couple steps towards him. “Gwil?” he asks hesitantly.

Gwil looks up, watching him expectantly.

“Why not…teach this?” Ben asks. “I— do you know how many people would be beating down the door to learn about alien plant species from someone who _actually_ went to another planet?”

“That’s not…” Gwil shakes his head a bit.

“Not what?” Ben asks. “I— I know you don’t want that sort of attention, but you were a professor. Rami said you were brilliant. You must miss it, I know you do.”

“Yes, of course,” Gwil says. “I loved teaching. I miss it quite a bit.”

“Then why not do it again?” Ben asks.

Gwil shrugs, reaching out, letting a couple tall plants drag through his open fingers. “I…want people to learn because they enjoy the material,” he says. “I want to give a lecture and ask if anyone has any questions, and have students ask me about—” He shakes his head a bit. “The molecular structure of the flavone backbone,” he says. “Not have a bunch of journalists ask me about how I’m adjusting to using the Internet. And sadly, there’s no way around it. I’d never know if someone was in my course because they actually wanted to be there, or because I’m some— sideshow.” He looks down, frowning for a moment. “Camomile,” he says eventually, gesturing towards a plant. “Part of its name means apple in Greek,” he says. “Because of how it smells.” He smiles, then steps towards Ben, carefully running his fingers through Ben’s hair. “People use it to lighten their blond,” he says.

Ben laughs softly, and then leans in towards Gwil, taking a deep breath and wrapping his arms around him. “Yes, I’ve been using it for years,” he says. 

Gwil chuckles. “I’m sure,” he says. “Should we move on to the next?” he asks. “Or do you still want to look around here.”

“No, I’m alright,” Ben says. “Lead the way,” he says.

“According to the website,” Gwil says, “the next garden is the first garden in America designed to accommodate visitors who are visually impaired.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant,” Ben says, nodding. They walk to the next garden, and Gwil immediately hurries over to a small shrub with bright yellow and pink flowers on it.

“Oh, look at this,” he says, “_lantana camara_. Beautiful species, but definitely one you have to watch out for.” Ben frowns and takes a small step back, and Gwil chuckles, reaching out to him. “Sorry love, not you, not literally,” he says. “It’s an invasive species. Most people think it’s just a weed. It crowds out other species, resulting in a lack of biodiversity. It’s also toxic to livestock.” He smiles at Ben. “Beautiful though, isn’t it?”

Ben smiles back, nodding. “It is, yeah,” he says. “I don’t know how you know all this,” he says.

Gwil laughs softly. “Well, I spent years studying it,” he says. “And then years teaching it. I’m sure you could rattle off laws to me, important cases. All sorts of things I don’t know about.” He looks back to the plant, and Ben doesn’t say anything. After a few moments, Gwil looks back at Ben. “Are you alright?” he asks.

“Yeah, of course,” Ben says. “I was just…thinking.”

“About what?” Gwil asks.

Ben sighs. “I— well, you’re just so brilliant. The— I mean, you know the Latin names for flowers.”

“You’re smart too, love,” Gwil says. “Besides, isn’t law all Latin?”

“Well, fair enough,” Ben says. “I just…I don’t know. But who cares about what I learned?” he asks. “You can bring me to a beautiful place like this and tell me about _lan_— _lanata_?”

“_Lantana camara_,” Gwil says.

“Right, _that_,” Ben says. “When am I ever going to get a chance to talk about _mens rea_?”

Gwil smiles at him. “So, teach me,” he says, echoing Ben's words from earlier.

Ben looks at him. “What do you mean?” he asks.

“Come on,” Gwil says, “I taught you something, now you teach me. _Professor_ Hardy,” he smirks.

Ben frowns a bit. “I— I wouldn’t know what to— like what?” he asks.

“Anything you want,” Gwil says. “I’ll tell you about a flower, and then you can tell me about…a case you studied.” Ben doesn’t say anything. “Come on, you studied it, you must know it.” They walk into the next garden, and Gwil looks around, leading Ben over to a purple flower. “This is an iris,” he says, “it’s a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, and it belongs to the same order as asparagus and onions. Interesting, yes?”

“I…guess, yes,” Ben says.

“Now you,” Gwil says.

“Gwil, I…I don’t know,” Ben says.

“Any case,” Gwil says, “just one. I’m all ears, and eager to learn.”

“Gwil, I—” Ben sighs, shaking his head. “M’Naghten’s Case, 1843.”

“Yes?” Gwil asks eagerly.

Ben rolls his eyes a bit. “It’s…criminal law, for the defence of insanity. I don’t— it was the first thing that came to mind.”

“That’s fine,” Gwil says. “I know it can be a bit hard to just…come up with something. I mean, all the cases you learned. But tell me about that one.”

“It was just a murder case,” Ben says. “I— really, Gwil, I don't know why it came to mind, let me think of something better.”

“No, I think I’d like to hear about this one,” Gwil says.

“It’s just…the rules, what you have to prove to be found not guilty,” Ben says. “Everyone is presumed to be sane, and to establish the defence, you have to show the accused didn’t know what they were doing— or, if they did know what they were doing, that they didn’t know it was wrong.”

Gwil nods, then slowly smiles. “I assume this is the one we’re keeping in our back pocket for the day Joe finally cracks?”

Ben finally smiles as well, shaking his head a bit. “Bugger that, he can rot in jail. Pain in my arse, that one is.”

“I think he’s growing on me,” Gwil says. 

“Oh, really?” Ben asks. “Just now?”

Gwil shrugs. “Well, maybe for awhile now,” he says. “But especially since he bought me that foam finger last week.”

Ben grins at him. “Yes, I can’t wait to see that on display in your flat.” He reaches out to gently touch a pink flower.

“That’s just a poppy,” Gwil says. “Opium poppy. They’ve been grown for thousands of years; opium predates written history.”

“_Victoria Park Racing_,” Ben says. “Australian case, man lived next to a racing track, let a radio station build a platform on his land so they could broadcast the races. He got sued.”

“What made you remember that one?” Gwil asks.

Ben shrugs. “Not sure. Mildly amusing, I suppose. ‘No property in a spectacle,’ I always quite liked that.”

They walk a bit further down the path, and Gwil reaches out, taking Ben’s hand. Ben stops to look at a purple flower, and Gwil tells him that it’s called flossflower, and in return, Ben tells him about _Donoghue v Stevenson_.

Gwil glances down at his watch, and Ben looks over at him. “Are we running late?” Ben asks.

“No, not late,” Gwil says. “But no, we can’t spend all day here.”

“But it’s so beautiful,” Ben says softly, looking around.

“Did you really like it?” Gwil asks.

“Yes, of course,” Ben says. “Absolutely.” He smiles. “Did Joe tell you about it?”

“No, I looked for it on my own,” Gwil says. “Joe just helped me figure out how to get here.”

“That was sweet,” Ben says.

“He wanted to help,” Gwil says.

“Help with what?” Ben asks.

Gwil shrugs. “Just…I wanted to make sure that you had a nice time.”

“Oh, I’m having a great time,” Ben says. “That’s— don’t worry about that.”

Gwil bites down on the inside of his lip, hesitating before he speaks, but then he asks: “did you ever travel with your family?”

Ben glances over at him, and then shrugs.

“I know you said Michael was a bit of a handful when you were younger,” Gwil continues, “but I still thought…well, maybe.”

“Calais,” Ben says quietly. “We’d…sometimes, drive over. If we had a day off school, or.” He shrugs. “The Lake District.”

“Oh, beautiful,” Gwil says, “that must’ve been nice.”

“Or just, you know, Scotland,” Ben says. “There was a summer when I was 12 or 13 and wanted to find the Loch Ness Monster.”

“Oh, she still hasn’t been found yet?” Gwil asks. “That’s a shame.”

Ben smiles weakly at that. “No, not yet,” he says. “But I did my part. I certainly tried.”

Gwil grins. “I’m sure you did.” They walk a bit more, and he looks over at Ben again. “Do you ever miss them?” he asks.

Ben shrugs, digging his toe into the ground at they walk, kicking up a small rock. 

“I’m sorry if you don't want to talk about it, love,” Gwil says, “I just thought that maybe after spending so much time with Joe’s family that—”

“That what?” Ben asks.

“That maybe you’d…changed your mind,” Gwil says.

Ben snorts. “Oh? Have _they_? Have they rang me up, apologized for not speaking to me for _over a year_?”

“You’re right,” Gwil says, “I’m sorry, love, I…I wasn’t thinking.”

Ben looks at Gwil, and then sighs softly. “No, I— I’m sorry, that was rude. It’s not your fault. It’s— I shouldn’t take it out on you, I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Gwil says, “I— I didn’t want to upset you, I just thought…well, I’m sorry.” He squeezes Ben’s hand.

“I’m…well, I do,” Ben says, “miss them. Sometimes. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. I don’t ever feel the need to ring them up and talk about— work, or uni, or whatever, but since you, I…I do want to tell them about you.”

“Oh?” Gwil asks. “Tell them what about me, exactly?”

“That I love you,” Ben says, “and that I found someone who loves me back. And that you like flowers, and— and cooking, and that you had a cat named Tiger Lily, surprisingly _not_ named after _Peter Pan_, and that you’re smart. And used to be a professor. And that you’re kind to me.” 

Gwil smiles at Ben. “So you want to show me off, then?” he asks.

“Basically, yes,” Ben says. “I— they…I didn’t tell them. About Paul. But I think, well, maybe they knew. Or not. I— sometimes I wonder what kind of parents could let their child be…but then I think I— was better at hiding it than I thought.”

“Do you think it would have made a difference?” Gwil asks. “If they’d known.”

Ben shrugs. “I— I don’t know,” he says. He looks around the path as they walk, and doesn’t say anything else. They get back to where they entered from, and Gwil gives Ben a quick smile as he walks into the gift shop. “Now, don’t be buying up the whole lot,” Ben says, following after Gwil. “We can’t take it all back with us.”

“Oh, I think I can fit it in somewhere,” Gwil says. “Oh, I like this magnet,” he says, mostly to himself, “maybe Nelly would want one too. Oh, and this dishtowel.” Ben smiles. “Anything you’d like, grab it as well, love,” Gwil says.

Ben nods, looking around. There’s a t-shirt he likes, and it’s not even that much, but he doesn’t feel right asking for Gwil to buy it for him. He doesn’t have much of a choice though, when Gwil notices and walks over, and grabs Ben’s size. Then grabs another t-shirt for himself. And an apron.

“Just remember that you have to carry all this with you,” Ben says.

“I’m fine,” Gwil says happily.

“Alright,” Ben says.

Gwil takes their purchases up to the cash, looking around. There’s a couple things on the counter that he looks at as well, but that he decides to leave. “Thank you,” he says, taking his bag, and then smiling over at Ben. “All set?” he asks.

“Yes,” Ben says, “lead the way.” They walk back to the subway, and Gwil double-checks his phone for the station they have to get off at for their next destination. They don’t find seats this time, and they crowd close together, Gwil smiling down at Ben. 

“This is the real New York experience,” he says, and Ben smiles up at him. 

“You’re easily entertained then,” Ben says. “We stand on the tube all the time back home.”

“Yes, but it’s different here,” Gwil insists. “This is the Big Apple!”

Ben looks up at Gwil and then just starts to laugh. “Alright, whatever you say! I— fine, yes. Big Apple.” He chuckles again. “We’ve been here a week, you know,” he says. “And _this_ is the first real New York experience you’ve had?”

Gwil reaches up, pushing a lock of hair back from Ben’s forehead. “Love,” he says, “I can’t help but think that you’re making fun of me.”

“Oh, I am,” Ben says, nodding. “Absolutely am.”

Gwil raises his eyebrows. “Should we just go back to the hotel then? Skip the rest of your surprise?”

Ben smirks. “I suppose that depends on what you’ll do with me once we’re back there.”

Gwil’s mouth falls open a bit, so unused to hearing Ben actually make suggestive comments to him, instead of the other way around. Especially in public, where someone could hear. “Well,” he says, gently clearing his throat, and Ben laughs softly. 

“No?” Ben asks.

“Well, I am rather looking forward to where we’re going,” Gwil says, “but please don’t take that to mean that I’m not excited for after, too.”

“What makes you so sure I’ll still be up for it?” Ben asks.

Gwil asks. “I’m not,” he says, “but afterwards—”

“After what, again?” Ben asks, smiling.

“Nothing, it’s a surprise,” Gwil says quickly, and Ben pouts playfully, then smiles again. “But afterwards, we get to go back to our room together, and we can get ready for bed together, and then I get to kiss you good night, and then I get to sleep next to the man I’m in love with. And then, tomorrow, I get to wake up next to him too.”

Ben swallows hard, looking up at Gwil. “That’s…wow,” he says softly, “that’s…” He leans up, giving Gwil a kiss. “Thank you,” he says.

“You’re welcome,” Gwil says, smiling at Ben, shifting to reach up, gently running his fingers over Ben’s cheek, getting him to smile as well. “So, if you don’t want to go, that’s alright, but I do think that you’ll enjoy it. I hope so, anyway.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Ben says, “whatever it is. I promise.”

“Good,” Gwil says, giving Ben another kiss. “I really am— I want you to like it.”

“I will,” Ben says, “I can’t wait. Can I have any hints?” Gwil shakes his head. “Alright, fine,” he says. 

They’re on the subway for another half hour, until Gwil guides them out at the Times Square-42 St station. Gwil looks around, taking out his phone again, and then he leads them north, then east on 44th Street.

“Where are we going?” Ben asks, looking at him.

“Just a pub,” Gwil says, “if that’s alright. I— the food isn’t the surprise.”

“That’s fine,” Ben says. Gwil leads them into the restaurant, telling the host that they have reservations, and Ben looks at him impressed. “You made reservations?” he asks.

“Yes, online,” Gwil says.

“Wow, look at you,” Ben says. He takes Gwil’s hand as they walk towards their table, and he smiles at him. “You know, when you start teaching again, and the journalists ask how you’re adjusting to the Internet, you can tell them just fine, thanks.”

Gwil pulls Ben’s chair out for him, and just looks at Ben, who gives him a cheeky smile. “I’m not teaching again, Ben,” he says, sitting down across from him.

“Why not?” Ben asks. “You love it, it’s not fair to you that you lose everything and everyone _and_ you can’t do your job anymore.”

“_Ben_,” Gwil says again. “Please.”

“So you can ask me about my parents but I can’t ask you about this?” Ben says. Gwil just looks at him, and then Ben looks down. “I’m sorry,” he says, fiddling with his menu.

“So am I,” Gwil says, “you’re right, that’s unfair of me.”

“I don’t want to ruin our night,” Ben says. 

“You didn’t,” Gwil says. “I— if anything—”

“You didn’t either,” Ben says, and Gwil gives him a tiny, relieved smile.

Gwil looks down quickly at the menu. “Did you want to share something first?” he asks.

“Yes, please,” Ben says, then he looks at Gwil again. “I assume you mean food, and not our personal feelings.”

Gwil chuckles at that. “Yes, love, I mean food.”

Ben nods. “Whatever you’d like,” he says.

“Beef sliders sound rather American, don’t they?” Gwil asks. “Or would you prefer pulled pork?”

“Beef is fine,” Ben says.

Their waiter comes, and they order their drinks, along with beef sliders, then baked cod au gratin for Ben, and lobster ravioli for Gwil. When their drinks come, Gwil takes a small drink to start, and looks at Ben. “I know you don’t want to talk about your family,” he says, “and that’s fine, I understand, but…I’ve been thinking more about mine.”

Ben nods, reaching out for his beer, taking a sip. 

“What if they’re angry with me?” Gwil asks.

“Gwil,” Ben says, “we talked about this; they wouldn’t be.”

“What if they’re terrible people?” Gwil asks.

Ben blinks a couple times, looking at him. “I…don’t know, I suppose.”

“I’m just worried,” Gwil says. “I know we only just talked about this two days ago but now I’m— what if I meet them, and they’re— awful? And then I’ve let them into our lives. I— Rami got lucky with his family, Nelly and all of them, they’re wonderful. They’ve never mistreated him or asked for anything, they haven’t turned him into a joke, or a news story. What if my family…sells their story for money? What if they don’t care? Just because my brothers and sister were good people doesn’t mean their grandchildren are.”

“Gwil, I…I don’t know what to say,” Ben says.

“I’m just scared,” Gwil says, “that I’ll let these people into our lives and then— it’s not just me they could hurt anymore. There are _four_ of us—”

“What are they going to do to Joe?” Ben asks.

“I just mean, it’s not my life anymore,” Gwil says. “Not _just_ my life. If they hurt me, it affects you. If they hurt me, it affects Rami. _And_ Joe. I can’t just invite those sorts of people into our lives.”

“You don’t even know their names yet, Gwil,” Ben says, “how can you say ‘those sorts of people’ when you don’t know who they are?”

Gwil reaches over, resting his hand on top of Ben’s, touching his ring. “I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I invited someone in and they hurt you. You don't deserve that, love.”

Ben smiles, turning his hand over, locking his fingers with Gwil. “We’ll take it slow,” he says, “like Rami and Nelly. Just a couple people at first, to see how they are. It’ll be alright. Let me take care of you for once.”

“You mean like how you took care of me when I got back and didn’t talk to you,” Gwil says, “and how you took me shopping and helped me find books to read, and how you found the letters from my mam, and how you took me to see Roger, and—”

“Yes, Gwil,” Ben says, “just like that. I like taking care of you, so let me do it again, alright? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But I think you want to find them.”

Gwil sighs a bit, and nods. “I don’t know what…I just want to find out what happened to my nieces and nephews.”

“And we will,” Ben says, smiling at him. “Alright?” He lifts their hands up, and presses a kiss to Gwil’s. “I love you,” he says, and Gwil visibly relaxes.

“I love you too,” he says, and Ben kisses his hand again. “It’s—” he looks around, “it’s nice to be able to be here with you. Like this, holding hands in public, everyone can see. No one cares.”

“I know,” Ben says softly. “I’m happy you get to have that.” 

“Never dreamed,” Gwil says softly, looking at their hands together, Ben’s ring.

“Were there places?” Ben asks. “That you could go?”

“Sometimes,” Gwil says. “I…perhaps it was selfish of us, but we never really wanted to risk it that much. If people found out, we’d’ve lost our jobs, or worse. You’d hear about raids, a hundred people being arrested. I— we loved dancing. But we could do that in our flat.”

Ben smiles at Gwil, imagining that sight. 

“So we just went out to regular pubs,” Gwil says, “we— tried not to be too close. I think…people knew. Sometimes. Two men, not related, living together, never out with a woman? I think they’d have to be daft to not see it.”

“People only see what they want to see,” Ben says. “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like back then. I— I mean, I’ve learned about it. In history, and studying law, but…I know I don’t have a whole lot of experience, but even as much as I hate Paul, it’s not like— I didn’t have to worry about the police coming ‘round to arrest us on a date.”

"Maybe he should have been,” Gwil says, and Ben swallows, looking down. “Sorry,” he says, gently squeezing Ben’s hand, and Ben just nods.

They pull apart when the server comes back with their beef sliders, and Ben smiles at the food, looking over at Gwil. “They look yummy,” he says.

“They do,” Gwil agrees. “Quite delicious.”

“Should we dig in?” Ben asks, and Gwil nods. “Gwil?”

“Yes, love,” Gwil says, picking up one of the sliders.

“I am having a wonderful day,” Ben says, and Gwil freezes, looking at him. “I really am. Even with all the…well, I mean. It’s been really lovely so far.”

“Yeah?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods.

“I’m so excited to see where we’re going next,” Ben says.

“Do you think you’ve figured it out?” Gwil asks.

Ben shrugs. “I think I probably have a guess, based on where we are right now, but what it is _exactly_, no.” He smiles at Gwil. “Are you taking me to Broadway?” he asks.

Gwil takes a sip of beer, and then nods. “Is that alright?” he asks, sounding a bit nervous.

“Of course it is,” Ben says, still smiling. “Are we seeing _Funny Girl_ again?”

Gwil chuckles, shaking his head. “We’re not,” he says.

Ben shrugs. “I would’ve been fine with it,” he says.

Gwil smiles at him. “I’m happy to hear that,” he says, “but I picked this one for you.”

“Me?” Ben asks, and Gwil nods. “Well, I— thank you.”

“Do you really not know?” Gwil asks. Ben shakes his head. “Okay, good,” he says. “I’m— I’m excited to see what you think.”

Ben takes a bite of his burger, chewing a few times, then swallowing it down with his beer. “You didn’t have to pick something for me,” he says.

Gwil looks up at him, quickly wiping at his mouth with his napkin. “Why not?” he asks.

Ben shrugs. “Just…didn’t, is all. I’ve been to New York before, I’ve— I’ve seen a play. This trip was more for you and Rami than for me. I just hope whatever it is, you like it too.”

“It could be the absolute worst play in the world,” Gwil says, and Ben smiles.

“And you’d still be chuffed to be there with me?” Ben says.

Gwil nods. “Of course,” he says. “I mean, I certainly hope it’s _not_, I paid a fair bit for these tickets,” and Ben laughs softly, “but if you like it, I’ll be happy. I like making you happy, you know.”

“I know,” Ben says. He smiles at Gwil. “These sliders are bloody amazing,” he says, and Gwil laughs.

“They are quite good,” he agrees.

“We should have just ordered more of these,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs again. “Can we bring them into the theatre?” he asks.

“I don’t think that’s allowed,” Gwil says.

“Shame,” Ben says. He smiles over at Gwil. “Did you think a year ago today, we’d be…”

“No,” Gwil says, shaking his head. “A year ago today, I was a disaster.”

“You were sad,” Ben says. “And had every right to be.”

“Maybe,” Gwil says, “but no. Though…”

“What?” Ben asks.

“Nothing,” Gwil says, smiling faintly. “Just…that trip, it was…I think that’s when I started to see you…that way.”

“Me too,” Ben says, smiling sweetly at Gwil. “I mean, I always thought you were fit—”

“Yes, Joe’s filled me in on his theories about why I was assigned to you,” Gwil says, and Ben starts to laugh.

“He’s lying,” Ben says quickly.

“Is he?” Gwil asks, cocking his head to the side.

“Yes,” Ben says, “he’s absolutely rotten, and he’s a liar.”

“Hmm,” Gwil says, playfully tapping his finger on his lip as he thinks, “I think he’s telling the truth.”

“No!” Ben exclaims. “No, I swear it, that’s not why.”

“I think you looked at that photo of us,” Gwil starts, as Ben continues to protest, “and you thought, this is it, my chance, he’s so handsome, I’m gonna shag that one.”

“I will throw you out the bloody window,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs.

“And ruin my pretty face?” Gwil asks, and Ben groans loudly, head falling forward, shoulders shaking as he tries not to laugh. Gwil watches him, and takes another bite of his slider, laughing too.

\+ + + + +

Gwil glances left to right as they leave the pub, and he reaches back to take Ben’s hand as they walk outside. 

“Is it a musical?” Ben asks.

Gwil smiles. “We’ll be there in less than five minutes.”

“So?” Ben asks.

“So, you can wait,” Gwil replies, and Ben smiles.

“Alright, bossy,” he says, and Gwil chuckles.

“You haven’t seen me bossy yet,” Gwil says, and Ben’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Really?” Ben says. “Well then.”

Gwil smiles and tightens his hold on Ben’s hand as they cross the street. “I do hope you like it,” he says.

“Of course I will,” Ben says, looking up at him.

“I thought it was actually quite lucky that it was showing,” Gwil says. “I know it’s— well, I’m sure you’ve probably seen it before. But I still thought—”

“Gwil,” Ben says, “I’m going to love it. I trust you.”

Gwil looks at Ben, getting a comforting smile in return. “Well, alright then,” he says. “We’re uh, we’re almost there.”

“Perfect,” Ben says. Gwil nods towards the theatre and then points, and Ben looks forward, glancing around quickly before his eyes catch on the marquee of the theatre a few metres ahead of them.

“That’s the one,” Gwil says softly, and Ben stops where they’re walking. Gwil squeezes Ben’s hand again and then turns to him, leaning down to kiss his temple. “It’s alright?” he asks. “I realized I don’t actually know which play is your favourite, so I hope it’s not one you secretly hate.”

Ben smiles faintly, shaking his head. “No,” he says, “I love _Richard II_.”

“You do?” Gwil asks.

Ben nods. “Yeah,” he says. “It’s a brilliant choice.”

“I did well?” Gwil asks.

Ben laughs softly, nodding. “Yeah, you did well.” He turns and leans up, giving Gwil a kiss. “Do you like it?” he asks.

“Kissing you?” Gwil asks. “I love it.”

Ben smiles and rolls his eyes. “The play, Gwil.”

“Oh, are we seeing a play?” Gwil asks, leaning in to kiss Ben again, but Ben just pulls back, laughing. 

“Come on,” Ben says. “I want to go in.”

“Well, I want to stay out here with you,” Gwil says, pulling Ben back towards him.

Ben smiles, shaking his head. “All this time you were worried about whether or not I’d want to see this play, and now you won’t even let me go in?”

“You just look so beautiful right now,” Gwil says, cupping Ben’s face in his hands. “When you’re happy.” He kisses him again, slowly, and Ben moans softly, his hands pressed to Gwil’s chest, fingers gently curling into the material of his shirt.

“Gwil,” Ben says softly, pulling back.

“You even sound beautiful,” Gwil murmurs, and Ben smiles.

“I want to see the play, Gwil,” Ben says. “I want to see it with you.”

“Alright,” Gwil says, “if you insist.” 

Ben nods, and they start walking towards the theatre again. “It’s actually one of my favourites,” he says.

“It is?” Gwil asks. 

Ben nods. “Yeah, it is, I— I’ve always liked it.” He smiles when Gwil presses his hand to his lower back as they walk into the lobby of the theatre, looking up at him. “I suppose you think this means you’ll get something out of me when we go back to the hotel,” he says.

Gwil laughs. “I would never expect such a thing,” he says. “Hope for? Yes, of course.” He laughs softly, and Ben smiles as well, shaking his head. “Do you want a drink?” he asks, glancing at the counter.

“Yes, please,” Ben says, and they walk over, each getting a drink, and a small bag of popcorn for them to share as they wait to go in and find their seats.

“Do you know this play well?” Gwil asks, popping a couple pieces of popcorn into his mouth.

Ben smiles, shaking his head as he takes a drink. “You’re not going to get me to give you a Shakespearean monologue, Gwil,” he says.

“But you know one, don’t you?” Gwil asks, and Ben smiles.

“Maybe,” he admits softly, looking away.

“So why do you like this one?” Gwil asks. “Isn’t he a villain?”

“Who, Richard?” Ben asks. “I— I don’t know, is he?”

“Well, we’re supposed to root for Bolingbroke, aren’t we?” Gwil asks.

“I— can’t I like a play without liking the person it’s about?” Ben asks. “I just think it’s interesting is all. Having the better claim or being the better person. What it means to be good.”

Gwil shifts, taking another couple pieces of popcorn. “Do you think about that a lot?” he asks. “What it means to be good?”

“Are we discussing philosophy or history?” Ben asks.

Gwil shrugs. “Whatever you’d like,” he says, “it’s our date night.”

“I really just think it’s an interesting play, Gwil,” Ben says. “I also love _Macbeth_, that doesn’t make me a murderer.”

“Still,” Gwil says, “I’ll watch my back. Sleep with one eye open.”

Ben smiles. “Methought I heard a voice cry, sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep.” He takes a drink, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

“That was brilliant,” Gwil says. 

Ben laughs. “It was rubbish, but that’s alright.” He takes another drink, and then shifts, moving closer to Gwil, resting against him.

“Yes?” Gwil asks.

“Nothing,” Ben says. “I just like being next to you.”

Gwil smiles, leaning down, pressing a kiss to the top of Ben’s head. “What a coincidence then, love,” he says softly, “I rather like being next to you too.”

They stay in the lobby, finishing their drinks and most of the popcorn before they got into the theatre, Gwil checking their tickets to find their seats, leading Ben down the rows in the orchestra. They take their seats, and Ben immediately reaches out, taking Gwil’s hand. He looks around, up at the mezzanine, taking in the size of the theatre, and then he settles back in his seat, getting comfortable. “This is exciting,” he says, drumming his hand on his thigh a couple times.

“Give me one line,” Gwil says, and Ben rolls his eyes, laughing.

“Gwil, we’re about to see it,” Ben says.

“Just your favourite bit,” Gwil says, “so I know.”

Ben shakes his head. “You don’t need to know, Gwil.”

“Then squeeze my hand when it starts,” Gwil says. “So I know.”

Ben sighs, and shakes his head a bit again, but he finally agrees. “Fine,” he says, “I’ll squeeze your hand when it starts.”

“Okay,” Gwil says, and he gives Ben a quick kiss.

“I don’t know why, though,” Ben says, and Gwil just sits back, smiling at him.

“I just want to know, is all,” Gwil says.

The lights dim, and the curtains open, and the theatre settles into silence as Richard II and John of Gaunt enter the palace set.

They’re about halfway through the play, on a scene set on a Welsh beach, and the Duke of Aumerle speaks his line, “Where is the duke my father with his power?” and Ben squeezes Gwil’s hand as Richard II begins his monologue. Ben inhales, holding his breath as Richard II speaks; after a few lines, he glances over at Gwil, expecting to see him watching the stage, but Gwil’s just settled into his seat, watching Ben.

Ben frowns a bit, but then turns back, listening to Richard finish his speech, and then he slowly and quietly lets out his breath, smiling.

The play ends with Bolingbroke declaring he’ll travel to Jerusalem to rid himself of the guilt for the role he played in Richard’s death, and Ben is immediately on his feet, clapping. Gwil smiles and stands up next to him, applauding as well. 

Ben leaves Gwil in the lobby to run to the bathroom, and then he comes back out, smiling at Gwil.

“Did you enjoy it?” Gwil asks.

“I loved it,” Ben says, holding the door open for Gwil as they walk out into the night. They start back in the direction of the Times Square-42 St station, and Ben looks up at him. “What were you doing?” he asks.

“When?” Gwil asks.

“You know when,” Ben says. “During the monologue.”

Gwil smiles, and shrugs. “I don’t know what you mean,” he says. Ben groans softly. “I did get you this, though,” Gwil says, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a small magnet, handing it to Ben. “When you were in the loo.”

“Thank you,” Ben says, looking it over, smiling. “I love it.”

“You’re welcome,” Gwil says.

They get on the subway, and it’s only about five minutes before they get off at their stop, and walk up to their hotel. They get into the elevator, and get out on their floor, Ben taking out the keycard, unlocking their door. He glances over at Rami and Joe’s door, pausing for a moment, and then heads into their room. He sets his card down, along with his wallet and his phone, and his magnet, and then toes off his trainers, glancing over at Gwil.

“Alright?” Gwil asks.

“Yeah, fine,” Ben says, giving him a quick smile.

“Tired?” Gwil asks.

Ben shrugs. “Don’t think so, no,” he says.

“Alright love,” Gwil says, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before kicking off his shoes as well, walking into the bathroom.

Ben nods, then sighs, looking around the room. He reaches out, picking up his magnet again, smiling. If it weren’t for the fact that he knows they’re probably doing something quite romantic right now, he’d be messaging Joe and Rami to tell them about the wonderful night they’d had. They’ll talk about it in the morning, he’s sure. Joe will want to brag about their night, and Rami will tell them what his surprise was. He runs his fingers over the magnet, then sets it back down, sighing. 

He hears the water running for a bit, and walks over to the window, pushing the curtains out of the way to look at the view from their room. It’s not much, but it’s nice enough. He smiles faintly, looking over when he hears the lights flick off and Gwil walking back out into the room.

“Anything interesting happening?” Gwil asks, and Ben smiles, shrugging.

“About three muggings right down there,” he says, tapping on the window, and Gwil chuckles, sitting down on the bed.

“Well, you call the police, let them know,” Gwil says.

Ben glances over at him. “Going to sleep?” he asks.

Gwil smiles. “I thought maybe we’d get into bed, watch some tele,” he says. “Maybe there’s a baseball game on.”

Ben smiles back, glancing at the clock, shaking his head. “It’s probably over by now,” he says.

“Hmm,” Gwil shrugs, “too bad.”

“Are we going to spend all our time back home watching baseball games now?” Ben asks.

Gwil smiles at him. “Maybe,” he says. “But I’ll need to do some research.”

“Into what?” Ben asks.

“Which team I want to root for,” Gwil says.

“Oh god,” Ben says, playfully clutching at his chest. “That’s— wow. All the goodwill you’ve built with Joe, that’s it, it’s over. No. No, I can’t be dealing with this.” 

“With what?” Gwil asks, reaching out to Ben.

Ben steps forward and takes Gwil’s hand, letting him pull him onto the mattress with him. “I can’t choose between you and Joe,” he says. “He’ll make me break up with you for sure.”

Gwil shifts on the mattress, looking to his side, smiling at Ben, who curls up next to him. “I’m really interested in seeing how far I can push him,” he says. “What the final straw would be.”

“Showing up to the pizza tour tomorrow in a Red Sox hat might do it,” Ben says.

“Hmm,” Gwil says, settling on his back, looking up at the ceiling. “Where would I find one of those in New York City at this time of night, though?” he asks.

Ben rests himself against Gwil’s side, his head pillowed on Gwil’s arm, reaching out to distractedly play with the buttons on Gwil’s shirt. Gwil looks down watching Ben’s fingers move, first just picking at the buttons, fiddling with them, but then Ben shifts and undoes the top button, sliding his hand into Gwil’s shirt, resting it on Gwil’s chest.

Gwil reaches up, resting his hand on Ben’s, smiling down at him. “Do you want me to take this off?” he asks.

Ben swallows hard, blinking a couple times. “Maybe,” he says softly.

“Just maybe?” Gwil asks.

Ben pushes himself up, looking down at Gwil. “Maybe,” he says, smiling, leaning down to give him a kiss. “Or you can keep it on,” he says.

Gwil chuckles softly, reaching up to push a piece of hair back from Ben’s forehead. “Would you like that?” he asks. 

Ben bites on his lip, playfully pretending to think, then laughs and shakes his head. “No,” he says, “I love your chest too much.”

“You do?” Gwil asks, pushing himself up on his elbows, looking up at Ben. “Really? Well. What do you like about it?” he asks.

Ben rolls his eyes, smiling. “Don’t be weird, Gwil,” he says.

“Tell me how fit you think I am,” Gwil says, grinning up at Ben. 

“Ugh,” Ben groans, “you’re insatiable.” He shifts his weight, settling on Gwil’s lap, straddling one of his thighs.

“Well, I like where this is going,” Gwil says, settling his hands on Ben’s thighs. “Though we have a bit more clothes on than usual.”

“Oh, we’re not shagging,” Ben says.

“We’re not?” Gwil asks.

Ben shakes his head, and then smiles, leaning down to give Gwil a kiss, his hands moving from Gwil’s waist to his face, flitting about as their lips move together. “Well, I suppose we _can_,” he says, pulling back, “if you’re not too tired. I just know how you were looking forward to watching TV.”

Gwil bites down his lip, moving his hands, sliding them up under the hem of Ben's shorts. “Oh, I think that can wait,” he says softly, and then surges up, kissing Ben again. “God, Ben,” he murmurs against his mouth, nipping at his bottom lip.

Ben moans softly, and then he reaches up, slowly starting to unbutton Gwil’s shirt. They keep kissing, Gwil’s hands gently rubbing Ben’s thighs, warm and heavy, as Ben undoes every button. Then he drops his mouth to Gwil’s jawline, and then his neck, and starts pushing at Gwil’s shirt as he sucks a mark on his skin.

Gwil pushes himself up a bit and lets go of Ben long enough to shrug his shirt off, then his hands are immediately back on Ben: one settled back on his thigh, while the other moves to the back of Ben’s neck, pulling him in and holding him close. 

“Gwil,” Ben moans, curling his fingers against Gwil’s chest, feeling the scratch of his chest hair against him. His tongue gently licks at Gwil’s mouth, and Gwil opens his mouth to him, hand sliding up from Ben’s thigh to grip at his ass, trying to get Ben to start rocking against him.

“What do you want, love?” Gwil asks, pulling back to look at him.

Ben cups Gwil’s cheek in his hand, thumb resting against Gwil’s lips, which Gwil then gently sucks into his mouth. Ben swallows hard, and Gwil smirks up at him, tongue teasing at Ben’s thumb. “Gwil,” Ben breathes softly, and Gwil pulls off with a gentle pop.

“Yes, love?” Gwil asks.

“You can’t just do that,” Ben says, shifting on Gwil’s thigh, looking down at his shorts.

“I think I can, actually,” Gwil says. He looks down as well, smiling. “How hard are you right now?” he asks. “And I haven’t even done anything yet.”

Ben bites his lip, and then Gwil’s hands are on his waist, quickly rolling Ben onto the mattress, settling above him, looking down at him. Ben blinks quickly, tongue coming out to wet his lips, and Gwil’s mouth is on his. Ben clutches at Gwil, spreading his legs a bit so that Gwil can press harder against him, and he lets out a heavy breath. “Gwil,” he murmurs, pulling back.

Gwil smiles down at him, and then leans down, kissing Ben’s neck, hand running down Ben’s ribs, pushing up under Ben’s shirt. Ben swallows hard, and Gwil can feel the flinch of his muscles against his hand, and he gives him another kiss. “Is this coming off tonight?” Gwil asks, shifting to take the hem of Ben’s shirt between his fingers.

“Yeah,” Ben says softly, “that’s fine.”

Gwil smiles and leans down, kissing him again. “There’s my good lad,” he murmurs against his mouth, starting to tug up Ben’s shirt.

Ben whimpers at Gwil’s words, pushing himself up enough for the shirt to come off, lifting his arms, immediately clutching at Gwil again as soon as it’s out of Gwil's hands, pulling Gwil back down into a kiss. He moans against his mouth, hands pressing against Gwil, holding him against him as they start to rock together.

Gwil cups Ben’s face in his hands, guiding him into the kiss, moving against him. “Fucking hell,” he mutters, and Ben laughs softly as Gwil kisses Ben’s neck, briefly sucking a mark there, then moving further down. He licks a stripe on Ben’s collarbone, and then braces himself himself against the mattress as he shifts further back, looking up at Ben as he opens his mouth over Ben’s nipple, gently sucking. Ben whimpers, fingers curling into Gwil’s hair. Gwil lifts his head up, huffing a quiet laugh at him as Ben licks his lips. “Ben, love,” he says, firmly palming Ben through his shorts.

“Yes,” Ben pants softly, twisting on the mattress beneath him. 

“Ben,” Gwil says again. He leans over him, his mouth by Ben’s ear. “I’m going to use my mouth on you, alright?”

Ben swallows hard, lifting his head off the mattress. “Are you sure?” he asks, voice wavering a bit. Gwil nods, tongue coming out to wet his lips. “I— uh, give me a second,” he says, and Gwil rolls off him, watching Ben walk into the bathroom. While he waits, hearing the sink turn on, he takes off his shorts and his socks, leaving him in just his boxer-briefs, lounging back on the mattress, reaching down to rub himself a couple times through the fabric. He smiles when he hears the water turn off, and a second later, the bathroom light turns off.

“Come on, love,” Gwil says, reaching his hand out, and Ben walks back out into the room, having taken off his shorts and his boxer-briefs, cock hard. Ben swallows hard, looking down as he grasps onto Gwil’s hand, letting him pull him back onto the mattress, and Gwil immediately rolls back on top of him. “You alright?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Ben says, shifting underneath him, spreading his legs a bit.

Gwil leans in and gives him a kiss, then shifts down Ben’s body, kissing as he goes. He quickly looks back as he climbs off the bed and gets onto the floor, kneeling at the edge of the mattress. He hooks his arms under Ben’s knees, pulling him down to the edge of the mattress as well. He pushes himself up to give Ben another quick kiss, just to reassure him, before kneeling again, tongue coming out to wet his lips as he tilts Ben’s hips back, leaning in to press his mouth to Ben.

Ben’s voice almost immediately breaks into a whine, and his muscles clench as he simultaneously tries to move away from Gwil’s mouth and get more from him. “Gwil,” he moans, gasping, fingers curling into Gwil’s hair. “God, fuck, Gwil, unh,” he voice shakes, and he pulls Gwil in closer, cries getting even louder. 

Gwil pulls back to wet his lips, eyeing Ben appreciatively as he clenches around nothing, then he groans loudly, leaning forward to press his mouth to Ben again, chasing the taste of him with his tongue.

Ben takes a deep breath and cries out, loudly whining as he grips at Gwil’s hair, toes curling. He’s panting, trying to keep the noises in, biting down on his lip, but his voice breaks and he moans. “Gwil,” he whimpers, pressing his head back against the mattress. “I— please, I—”

“What?” Gwil asks, looking up, fingers digging into Ben’s thighs, spreading him wide.

“It’s—” Ben swallows hard, “it’s too much,” he says softly, “you’re— they can _hear_.”

Gwil shifts on his knees, turning his head to press a kiss to the inside of Ben’s thigh. “So let them,” he says, and he moves his mouth down again.

Ben gasps, and his fingers tighten in Gwil’s hair automatically, and Ben knows he should feel guilty, knows he should let up, but he can’t. Every single second there’s pleasure flooding up through Ben’s body, there’s no break or sign of stopping, and he needs to hold onto something to ground himself. “Gwil,” he pants, “I— oh fuck, right there, ah, Gwil, I— oh my god, oh my god, Gwil, I—” He’s breathing heavily, and then Gwil takes a hand away from Ben’s thigh, starting to press a couple fingertips against Ben, and Ben lets out a loud noise unlike anything Gwil’s ever heard before.

Gwil pulls back, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand, huffing a quiet laugh. “I liked that sound,” he says, licking at Ben with the flat of his tongue. “Think I can hear it again?” he asks.

“Gwil,” Ben says, and he whimpers in embarrassment when Gwil’s hands move to his thighs again, spreading him wider, tilting his hips a bit further back, until there’s nowhere for Ben’s legs to go but over Gwil’s shoulders. Ben squeezes his eyes shut, trying to gain control of his muscles, trying to stop them from shaking so much for fear that he’ll accidentally tighten them around Gwil, but he can’t control any part of his body. His toes are curled, his feet arched, his thighs tight, and his moans are constant. 

Gwil licks into him, again and again, spreading him wide, and he can’t stop his noises either, both of them filling the room.

“Gwil,” Ben gasps, “Gwil, I— oh god,” he starts panting, and one of his hands lets go from Gwil’s hair to wrap around his cock, but then one of Gwil's hands shoots out, pressing Ben's hand against the mattress. Ben whines, heels digging into Gwil's back, twisting a bit against him, trying to get more pressure, trying desperately to come. 

Gwil groans against Ben, the vibrations shooting up his spine, leaving Ben trembling on the mattress. He kisses and licks over and over, Ben clenching again and again, and finally Gwil lets go of Ben's hand to press his fingers against him again, and then he pushes them past the loosened muscle, curling them, rubbing them inside him, and Ben’s back arches off the mattress, and he cries out loudly. 

"Fuck, Gwil!" Ben finally reaches down, starting to stroke himself. “Gwil,” he moans, “yes, fuck, hard— mm, right, yes, oh god, Gwil, I— please.” Gwil's mouth and fingers are working together and Ben can't even think straight, he can't think about a single thing other than wanting to come. “Gwil,” he whines, “oh god, Gwil, I— yes, please, fuck, fuck, ah, ah, Gwil.” He keeps stroking himself furiously until he comes, gasping loudly, whimpering as Gwil keeps pressing his fingers inside him. “Gwil!” he cries out, still rocking against him, one hand clutching at the mattress, trying to still himself.

Gwil carefully slips his fingers out, and then keeps licking at him, slowing his movements, until he finally pulls back, looking up at Ben, panting softly. He reaches up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, looking a bit dazed. He presses a couple kisses to the inside of Ben’s thigh, and Ben’s legs immediately collapse to the bed as Gwil moves back. He braces himself against the mattress, slowly pushing himself up.

Ben throws his arm over his eyes, stomach heaving as he breathes heavily, come drying on his lower stomach. “Gwil,” he mutters, groaning as he shifts a bit.

“Just a tick, love,” Gwil says softly, patting Ben’s leg a couple times before heading into the bathroom, flicking on the lights. He quickly rinses his mouth and washes his hands, wetting a cloth and taking it back out to Ben, who’s still on the bed, but who has at least moved his arm away from his face and moved up a bit so that his legs aren’t hanging uncomfortably off the edge. “May I?” he asks, sitting down next to Ben, holding up the cloth, and Ben nods.

“I think I’m dead,” Ben murmurs, and Gwil chuckles softly.

“That’s terrible,” he remarks, wiping at Ben’s lower stomach, “I don’t know how I’ll tell Joe and Rami.” He pauses, thinking for a moment. “How shall I tell them you’ve died?” he asks.

“Gwil,” Ben says softly.

Gwil smiles at that. “Alright, I’ll tell them I’ve killed you,” he says, and Ben groans pitifully. “Joe’ll be so angry with me.” He pushes himself up and walks back into the bathroom, dropping the cloth in the sink.

“Stop mentioning Joe while we’re shagging,” Ben calls after him, voice rough, and Gwil chuckles again as he walks back into the room.

“Oh, we’re still shagging?” he asks, smirking, and Ben looks up at him. 

“Did you want to stop?” Ben asks.

Gwil shrugs and settles down next to Ben, looking at him. “I don’t know,” he says. “Thought you might be tired out.”

Ben smiles, reaching out to gently run his fingers over Gwil’s cheekbone. “After such a lovely day, you think I’d leave you to go rub one out in the loo?” he asks.

Gwil smiles faintly, shaking his head. “You don’t owe me anything, love,” he says. “No matter how lovely our day might’ve been.”

“I know that,” Ben says, “I just…I— I want to touch you. Can I?”

“Yes, of course,” Gwil says, “if you’d like.”

Ben nods, his tongue coming out to wet his lips and then he leans in, kissing Gwil. Gwil smiles against his mouth and Ben sighs, settling against him, their lips moving together slowly, much sweeter than what they’d been doing just a few minutes earlier. They keep kissing for long moments on end, Gwil shifting on the mattress, eventually pulling Ben onto his lap to keep kissing him.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Gwil says softly, pulling back to look up at Ben, smiling at him. 

Ben blushes a bit and looks down, then leans in, kissing him again. “I figured it out, you know,” he says, pulling back.

“Figured what out?” Gwil asks, reaching up, brushing a piece of hair back from Ben’s forehead.

“Why you wanted to know my favourite part,” Ben says, shifting a bit on Gwil’s lap.

“Oh, did you?” Gwil asks.

Ben nods. “Because you wanted to watch me,” he says. “You wanted to…know when to look so that you could see me happy.”

Gwil slowly grins. “Gave it away, huh. That obvious?” He reaches up, cupping Ben’s cheek. “You held your breath,” he says. “When the actor spoke.”

“I didn’t want to miss anything,” Ben says, and Gwil chuckles. 

“I love that,” Gwil says. “It was…watching you, it was as good as watching the play.”

Ben smiles, shifting again on Gwil’s lap. “You’re just saying that,” he says.

“I’m not,” Gwil says. “I loved it, it was a brilliant play, but I could’ve just watched you the entire time.”

“Stop it,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs softly. 

“Oh love, come on,” Gwil says, “I know it’s hard, but…”

Ben rolls his eyes a bit, smiling at Gwil. “Learn to take a compliment, you mean,” he says.

“I was…yes, something along those lines,” Gwil says. “We’re working on it.” Ben nods. “Would it help if I complimented you again?” he asks.

“Gwil, you know you still haven’t come yet,” Ben says, and Gwil shrugs, shifting under Ben.

“And I’ll be fine if I don’t,” he says. “Because I had an absolute brilliant time making you come.” Ben looks away, and Gwil reaches up, cupping his cheek. “Because you are the most beautiful—” Ben closes his eyes at that, “lovely person, and every time I get the privilege of touching you, it’s wonderful.”

“Stop it,” Ben says again, opening his eyes, but Gwil can see him fighting back a smile. “Let me touch you,” he says.

“Say it,” Gwil says.

Ben looks at him, confused. “Say what?” he asks.

“Say how lovely you are,” Gwil says, “and I’ll let you touch me however you like.”

“Gwil, I can’t,” Ben says. “I— I wouldn’t— what would I even say?” he asks softly.

“Whatever you’d like,” Gwil says. “Anything you’d like.”

“Why?” Ben asks.

Gwil shrugs, shifting a bit under Ben. “Because I love you,” he says, “and I look at you, and see this brilliant, kind man, and I wonder how he doesn’t see it. I just— I’m being selfish. I’d feel better if you said something.”

Ben bites his lip, looking around. “This— you know I’m naked still, don’t you?” he says, glancing down.

“I did notice, yes,” Gwil says, smirking.

“It’s an odd conversation to have without my pants on, Gwil,” Ben says. He sighs. He drums his fingers a couple of times on Gwil’s stomach, and then shifts a bit. “I…like the colour of my eyes,” he says finally, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“Do you really?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods. “Good, because so do I.” He leans up, drawing Ben down into a kiss. “Now,” he says, “what do you want to do with me?”

Ben laughs softly, shaking his head again. “You’re a terrible person,” he says, “fishing for compliments before we can shag.”

“Well, does that really count if I was trying to get you to compliment yourself?” Gwil asks. 

“It’s still…” Ben trails off, and shrugs. “Weird,” he says softly.

Gwil frowns a bit. “I’m sorry, love,” he says. “I shouldn’t have. You’re right: you being naked and sitting on my lap isn’t the best time for that sort of thing.”

“It’s alright,” Ben says after a moment, “I forgive you.”

“Yeah?” Gwil asks.

Ben nods. “I _am_ going to tease you now, though,” he says, and Gwil raises his eyebrows as Ben smirks.

“You are?” Gwil asks.

Ben nods, climbing off Gwil’s lap, starting to tug at the waistband of his boxer-briefs. Gwil lifts his hips up, helping to kick them off. Ben settles between Gwil’s legs, looking up at him. He wets his lips, taking Gwil in his hand, starting to stroke him. 

Gwil gasps softly, watching as Ben leans down, opening his mouth over Gwil’s cock. His tongue comes out, gently teasing at the slit, and Gwil groans, fingers clenching. Ben strokes him a bit longer, until he’s fully hard in his hand, and then he stops, gently squeezing him. “God, Ben,” Gwil grunts.

“Say it,” Ben says, and Gwil looks at him, blinking rapidly.

“What?” Gwil asks, confused.

“Say how lovely you are,” Ben says, smiling at him. Gwil groans, and Ben laughs softly. “Not so fun, is it?” he asks.

“I was an excellent professor,” Gwil says, voice a bit rough, “and I’m an even better boyfriend.” He smirks at Ben.

Ben snorts at that, trying not to laugh. “You’re an arsehole,” he says, and Gwil shrugs, settling back on the mattress.

“I’ve been called worse,” he says. “I also like the colour of _my_ eyes, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs, the sound turning into a long moan as Ben takes him back into his mouth. Ben flattens his tongue against Gwil’s cock, moaning softly, looking up at him. 

“Jesus Christ,” Gwil mutters, pushing his fingers through Ben’s hair with a loose grip. “God, Ben, _yes_.”

Ben inhales deeply through his nose and then takes Gwil deeper into his mouth. He shifts on the bed between Gwil’s legs, closing his eyes. 

“You’re so good,” Gwil says softly, “god, Ben, your mouth.” He trails his fingertips down over Ben’s brow bone, his cheekbone, then over his hollowed cheek. “I love you,” he says, and Ben opens his eyes. 

Ben pulls off, wetting his lips, still stroking Gwil as he smiles up at him. “I love you too,” he says.

“Yeah?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods happily, turning to press his face against Gwil’s hand, pressing a kiss to his palm.

“I love being here,” Ben says, tightening his grip on Gwil, stroking him firmly. “I love you so much.”

Gwil smiles, and then sits up a bit, reaching out for Ben’s hand. “Up here, love,” he says, and Ben looks at him with a bit of confusion before sitting up to straddle Gwil’s thigh again, keeping his hand on him, still stroking him, as he leans down to kiss him.

“That what you want?” Ben asks, smiling at him.

Gwil nods, resting back on his elbows, looking between them to watch his cock move through Ben’s hand, and then he kisses him again. “Always want a kiss, love,” he murmurs, tongue coming out to wet his lips, brushing against Ben’s. 

“Alright,” Ben agrees, their mouths moving together, his arm pumping steadily and firmly between them, Gwil’s moans growing louder until finally his muscles tighten and he cries out, coming. Ben tilts his head, deepening the kiss, still stroking Gwil as he continues to moan against him, and then he finally pulls back, smiling at Gwil, just to kiss him again. “God, I love you,” he says. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Gwil smiles, nodding, giving Ben a kiss. “You’re bloody perfect,” he says, panting, voice rough, and Ben blushes a bit, looking away. “Spending this trip with you has been wonderful. I love being with you.”

Ben gives him another kiss, and another one, over and over, until he finds himself stifling a yawn against Gwil's mouth, and when he pulls back, Gwil looks a bit dazed and tired as well. That's when Ben finally pushes himself up, rolling off the mattress. He goes to the bathroom, quickly washing his hands and brushing his teeth, tugging his boxer-briefs back on, and then he walks back out, smiling at Gwil. “Bed time?” he asks. He sees his shirt on the floor, and he thinks about about leaning down to grab that as well, but he decides to just leave it for now.

“I think so,” Gwil says, nodding. “Tired?”

“Absolutely knackered,” Ben says. He reaches out, turning off the lights.

Gwil climbs off the bed and tugs the sheets back, looking over at Ben. “We have to set an alarm, don’t we?” he asks.

Ben groans loudly, flopping onto the bed. “Don’t remind me,” he says.

“Oh, you’ll be alright,” Gwil says, laughing, leaning over to give Ben a kiss.

“I know,” Ben says, tugging at the sheets, climbing into bed. “I just like to tease,” he says. He looks up at Gwil, struck again by how handsome he is. He smiles.

“Or you just hate mornings,” Gwil says, and Ben shrugs, softly laughing. He stretches his arm out, and Ben snuggles in, curling against his side. 

“Why’s Joe picked an early morning tour?” Ben asks. “Why’d we let him plan these things?” He reaches up, rubbing at his face, and then presses a kiss to Gwil’s chest. “Tomorrow’s our last day,” he says quietly.

“How do you feel?” Gwil asks.

Ben shrugs, stifling a yawn, blinking his eyes to try to keep them open. “I’m a bit gutted, honestly. I…”

“What’s wrong?” Gwil asks.

Ben puts his thumb up to his mouth, shaking his head a bit. “I don’t know,” he says. “Nothing’s _wrong_,” he says, “just…it’s different on holiday, isn’t it?” He tries not to think about how he told Joe that he'd tell Gwil by the time the trip was over. And they probably won't have much time alone together tomorrow. The clock is ticking, and he doesn't know why he's behaving like such an idiot.

“What is?” Gwil asks, shifting a bit on the mattress.

“Everything,” Ben says. “It’s…it’s just nice to be away, I guess.”

“I know, love,” Gwil says, turning to press a kiss to Ben’s forehead. “But home is nice as well.” Ben doesn’t say anything, and Gwil just frowns a bit, giving him another kiss. “Don’t think about going back just yet,” he says. “Tomorrow’s going to be grand, I promise.”

“Alright,” Ben says, “if you promise.” _It'll only be grand if I don't manage to fuck it up_, he thinks.

“Of course I do,” Gwil says, “and I wouldn’t lie. If nothing else, Joe will entertain us with some wonderful tale about today.”

Ben chuckles softly. “Probably about how brilliant he is at planning dates,” he says. Gwil murmurs in agreement, and Ben looks at him. “I’ll tell him you’re better though,” he says, and Gwil smiles.

“You really liked it?” Gwil asks. Ben nods. “Okay,” he says, “I’m happy.”

Ben nods. “Yeah, me too,” he says, and he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. He yawns softly, nuzzling his nose against Gwil’s side. He lays there for a few minutes, unable to fall asleep, the guilt twisting in his stomach. He groans softly at his own stupidity; he and Gwil can _talk_, he doesn’t know what he’s so worried about. Why doesn’t he just _say_ something?

Ben pushes himself up, mouth open, ready to speak, and then he looks down at Gwil, who’s completely fast asleep. Ben sighs softly. He can’t wake Gwil up, he looks so peaceful. It makes Ben’s heart twist a bit, how much more at ease he feels next to Gwil than he _ever_ did with Paul. He reaches out, gently curling his fingers against Gwil’s chest, looking down at his ring. Gwil snuffles a quiet noise in his sleep, and Ben smiles faintly. He shifts next to Gwil, and just settles back down to him, closing his eyes.

He’ll tell him in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • Ben and Gwil date night!!! with their two favourite things, flowers and Shakespeare.  
• and Gwil's other favourite thing: complimenting Ben.  
• and Ben's other favourite thing: making a bigger deal out of things than he needs to.  
• I hope you all liked Gwil's attempt at a New York date night! with a bit of help from Joe.  
• I really like the idea of them surrounded by pretty plants and Gwil showing them to Ben, it seemed so sweet.  
• next chapter, the gang is back together for their last night in New York. Joe has plans.  
• to those still reading, I appreciate you all 💛it's nice to know that others are still invested in these lives I've written.  
• genuinely - I think about stopping, but someone's always there to give me a little push and say they enjoy it.


	6. Chapter 6

Rami smiles over at Joe as Joe grabs their room key, making sure that he has everything before they head out for the day.

“What’s up?” Joe asks, looking at him.

Rami shrugs. “Nothing. What do you mean?” he asks.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” Joe asks, walking towards Rami, watching as Rami slowly backs up against the door.

“Can’t I just smile at my fiancé?” Rami asks, reaching up, clasping his hands behind Joe’s neck.

“Well, I mean, you _can_,” Joe says, “but a smile like that usually means something.”

Rami shakes his head slowly, smiling. “Nope,” he says, leaning in to give Joe a kiss.

“Nope?” Joe echoes, kissing him again. “You’re not, let’s say, excited?”

“For what?” Rami asks.

“To show me off,” Joe says.

Rami snorts a bit. “Show you off to who?” he asks.

Joe shrugs. “Everyone,” he says. “I’m a new man.”

“Are you?”

Joe nods. “I am,” he says. “I got engaged last night.”

Rami grins. “Did you?” he asks. “To who?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Joe says, “this really, really great guy. I don’t know if you know him or not.”

“No, tell me about him,” Rami says. 

“Well, he’s _gorgeous_,” Joe says, kissing Rami again, until Rami’s moaning softly against him. “And he’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”

“Only one of?” Rami asks.

“Yeah,” Joe says, but to be fair, I know a _lot_ of very smart people.”

Rami smiles. “And he proposed to you?” he asks.

Joe nods. “Yeah, he did. At the top of the Empire State Building.”

“Wow,” Rami says softly. “He sounds like a very special bloke.”

“Oh, he is,” Joe agrees.

“He sounds very lucky too,” Rami says.

Joe looks at Rami, and then smiles. “Yeah, I like to think so,” he says. “That’s what he tells me anyway.” They kiss again, and again, until there’s a knock at the door and Joe groans. “Just a minute!” he calls.

“Get your pants on and get out here,” Ben says through the door, “we’re not waiting all day. I’ll be back in bed in a minute.”

Joe laughs softly and pulls back. Rami turns and opens the door, smiling at Gwil and Ben. “Good morning,” Rami says, “how’re you?”

“Tired,” Ben says flatly. 

“Well, that’s no surprise,” Joe says. “Hopefully the sex was good at least.”

Gwil’s eyes widen a bit, and Ben looks a bit unsure for a moment, before he leans in closer to Joe. “Guess you must not have heard us this time then,” Ben says, “otherwise you’d’ve known it was bloody amazing.”

Rami laughs and Joe’s mouth falls open and then he slowly smiles. “Ben, you fucking dog, you,” Joe says. “Oh my god. You’re a perv. You’re a secret perv.”

“Oh, come on,” Ben says, “like you two weren’t in here shagging?”

“Oh, we definitely were,” Joe says, as he and Rami finally step out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him, “I just didn’t think— well. No, I didn’t hear. But now I wish I had.” He smiles up at Gwil. “Good morning, big guy.”

“Morning,” Gwil says.

“Ready for pizza?” Joe asks.

Gwil nods. “Absolutely,” he says.

“Good,” Joe says. “Let’s go then.” He claps Gwil on the arm a couple times as they turn towards the elevator. “I am going to want _every_ detail of your night,” he says. He glances back at Ben and Rami. “And I do mean _every_ detail.”

“I don't think so, Joe,” Gwil says, hitting the down button.

“No fair,” Joe whines, stomping his foot.

“Joe, stop,” Rami says gently.

Joe smiles. “What about me?” he asks, looking back and forth between Ben and Gwil as they step into the lift.

“What about you?” Ben asks.

“Notice anything different about me?” Joe asks. Ben looks Joe up and down, and Gwil narrows his eyes a bit. “Really?” Joe asks.

“Sorry,” Gwil says, shaking his head a bit. “Uh, is it a new…t-shirt?”

“Gwil, it’s a plain grey t-shirt,” Joe says. “Why would I ask you about that?”

“I don’t know,” Gwil says. “I admit, I was feeling a bit desperate.”

Joe sighs, and puts his hand on his hip, giving Ben and Gwil a pointed look. The elevator doors open and they step out in the lobby, and Joe raises his eyebrows. 

“Let’s leave it,” Rami says. “It will be better if they figure it out on their own.”

“Wait, so he’s not just being an arse?” Ben asks. “There’s actually something different about him?”

Rami nods. “Yes, it was my surprise,” he says.

“Did you get a tattoo?” Gwil asks.

“Nope,” Joe says, “Ben is still the only one amongst us who has committed that particular sin.”

“And maybe I’ll commit it again,” Ben says. “Or another one. Murder, maybe.”

Rami just smiles and reaches out, taking Joe’s hand as they walk towards the front doors. “It’s alright,” he says, “they’ll figure it out.” He gives Joe a quick kiss.

“Is there really something different about him?” Ben murmurs to Gwil, who just shrugs hopelessly.

“Come on, lads!” Joe calls behind him. “To the subway!”

“Is he…” Gwil just trails off, shaking his head a bit. “I don’t know. Taller?”

“Gwil, he’s not taller,” Ben says. 

“I know,” Gwil says, “but he looks the exact same.”

They get on the subway, and Rami smiles at Ben. “How was your day?” he asks. “What did you two do?”

Ben smiles over at Gwil, who smiles back. “Uh, we went to Brooklyn, actually.”

“It better not have been for a pizza tour,” Joe says, “otherwise…”

“You know what it was for, Joe,” Ben says.

Joe smiles. “Yeah, I do,” he says.

Ben looks back at Rami. “He took me to a garden. A— not just _a_ garden, but the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.”

“Really?” Rami asks. “Was it pretty?”

Ben nods eagerly. “It was beautiful,” he says. “He showed me um, a Shakespeare garden. Every plant was from one of his plays, or a sonnet. And he told me about them, and it was…well. I’ve never really been on a date like that before.”

Rami raises his eyebrows, looking over at Gwil, who’s clearly listening. “Sounds like Gwil’s a very good boyfriend then,” he says, and Gwil smiles faintly, before turning to look back at Joe, still trying to figure out the difference.

“Then we went out to dinner,” Ben continues, “just at a pub, but the food was amazing. And then he, well, we went to see a play.”

“Really?” Rami asks. “What was it?”

“_Richard II_,” Ben says. “Shakespeare, again. It was brilliant.” He shifts on his feet, blushing a bit, looking down for a moment before leaning a bit closer to Rami. “It’s silly,” he says softly, “but I…” He swallows hard, shaking his head.

“It’s not,” Rami says, voice equally as soft. Joe and Gwil would really have to strain to hear them over the sounds of the subway. “It was a good day?” he asks.

Ben nods, smiling faintly. “Would you think I’m an idiot if I said it was probably one of the best days of my life?” he asks.

“No,” Rami says, “I’d be happy. For you both.”

Ben sighs, relaxing a bit, and he nods. “Well, good,” he says, “because I’m pretty sure it was.”

Rami grins. “Good,” he says. He looks over at Gwil. “I can tell you’re listening, you know.”

“I’m not,” Gwil says, looking over. “I’m just…the sounds of the subway. You know.”

Ben snorts, rolling his eyes. He smiles at Rami. “Gwil thinks that standing on the tube is the peak of his New York experience.”

“Interesting,” Rami says. “How was the play?” he asks Gwil.

“Wonderful,” Gwil says. “And watching Ben was even better.” Ben blushes a bit, looking away, but Gwil just smiles at him. “Now, come on, tell us about your date. Your surprise.”

“Joe took me to the planetarium,” Rami says. “It was _amazing_.”

“Oh, really?” Gwil asks. “I’d love to see something like that.”

“Then,” Rami says, “for dinner, we went on a boat cruise. On the river. And there was champagne, and we danced, and watched the sunset.”

“Bloody hell,” Ben says. He looks over at Joe. “Who knew you were such a romantic?”

“I’ve been telling you for years,” Joe says, “but you kept turning me down. Bet you regret that now, huh?”

“And afterward,” Rami says, ignoring Joe’s comment, “we went to the top of the Empire State Building.”

“_Really_?” Gwil asks immediately. “How was it?”

“Perfect,” Rami says. “It was absolutely beautiful. The city is gorgeous from up there.”

Ben looks at Gwil. “Sorry your boyfriend is afraid of heights,” he says, and Gwil smiles.

“My boyfriend is perfect just the way he is,” Gwil says, and Ben looks away, smiling. “So what was your surprise?” Gwil asks, looking back at Rami, then glancing at Joe. “Or are we still not allowed to know?”

“I can’t believe you haven’t figured it out yet,” Joe says. “It’s not like you’re not even looking at me.”

Gwil frowns a bit, shaking his head. “I _really_ don’t—”

“I proposed,” Rami says.

“What?” Gwil asks, looking at him.

“At the top of the Empire State Building,” Rami says, smiling at Ben and Gwil. “I asked him to marry me.”

Ben smiles, reaching out to take Joe’s left hand, running his thumb over the black ring. “Look at that,” he says. “Joe, what’s this now?”

Joe grins, holding his hand out to Gwil, letting him look at it as well. “I got engaged,” he says.

“That’s a gorgeous ring,” Gwil says, smiling up at Joe. He looks at Rami. “How long’d it take you pick that out?”

Rami smiles, shrugging. “A bit,” he says. “I wanted it to be perfect.”

Joe grins, leaning forward to give Rami a quick kiss. “It is,” he says, settling back on his feet. “I love it.”

“That’s brilliant,” Gwil says softly. “You do know you were already engaged, right?” he asks, smirking at Rami.

“I do,” Rami says. “Now we’re engaged twice.”

“Two weddings then?” Gwil teases. “Twice as many presents?”

“Stop it,” Rami says, playfully rolling his eyes. “_No_, it’s…”

“I know,” Gwil says. “I think it’s sweet, I’m just teasing. Really, Rami. I’m chuffed.”

“You should’ve heard the things he said to me,” Joe says happily. “We basically wrote our wedding vows last night.”

“I just wanted Joe to know I love him,” Rami says.

Ben smiles, looking happily at Gwil, then looking at Joe. “What do you think you about that, mate?” he asks.

Joe smiles. “I think it’s pretty great, honestly,” he says. “Somebody loves me. And wants to marry me.” He lifts his hand up again. “And now I’ve got a pretty ring to prove it.” When Gwil and Rami shift a bit closer to start talking about the Empire State Building, Joe looks down at Ben’s hand pointedly, where he’s wearing his ring.

“What?” Ben asks, glancing down as well.

“Nothing,” Joe says, taking Ben’s hand, playfully shaking it. “Just…thinking is all. It just sounds like it was a really nice day, Ben.”

Ben smiles. “It was bloody perfect,” he says. “Thank you for helping him.”

“Little ole me?” Joe asks. “What did I do?”

“Thank you, Joe,” Ben says, “really.”

“Yeah, of course,” Joe says. “My pleasure, you know that.” Ben pulls Joe into a quick hug, made a bit awkward by how crowded the subway is, and Joe makes a small noise of surprise, before smiling, gently rubbing Ben’s back. “I was happy to help,” he says softly, pulling back.

“Thank you,” Ben says again, glancing over to where Gwil and Rami are watching them. 

Joe glances over as well, smiling. “What?” he asks. “Getting jealous?” he asks.

Rami and Gwil glance at each other, and smile. “Erm, I’m not sure which one of us you’re talking to,” Rami says, “but uh, no.”

Gwil laughs, looking away.

Joe smiles at the two of them, and looks back at Ben. “I think he’s lying,” he says softly, and Ben just smiles, nodding.

\+ + + + +

Joe groans loudly, chewing his pizza. “This is so good,” he mutters, taking another bite before he’s even finished the first. “Guys, are you trying this?” he asks, looking around.

“We are,” Ben says, “but we’re eating it like adults.”

“It’s delicious,” Rami says, taking a bite. 

“It is quite good,” Gwil agrees, taking a sip of soda.

“I like the crust,” Ben says, “could you make something like this at home?”

Joe shrugs, chewing. “If I had a pizza oven.” He looks at Rami. “Can we get a pizza oven?”

Rami just looks at Joe, chewing, then he shrugs, swallowing hard. “Uh…I don’t know?” he says. “I suppose.”

“You shouldn’t have agreed to that,” Ben says, and Rami smiles.

“I don’t know,” Rami says. “If he’s going to make me pizza like this, he can do whatever he wants.” The other three laugh, and Rami smiles over at Joe. “Will you promise to make me delicious pizza whenever I ask, for the rest of our lives?”

Joe winks, taking a drink. “Always, babe,” he says. 

“That’s fine, then,” Rami says, “whatever you’d like.”

“Aw, so sweet,” Ben says. “Lovely vows, those.”

“Yeah, they are,” Joe says. “So shut up and stop making fun of me or you don’t get any pizza.” He picks up his glass and then immediately puts it down again. “I’m sorry,” he says quickly, “I didn’t mean to say it.”

“It’s fine,” Ben says, taking another bite of pizza, settling back in his seat, letting Gwil rub his back. “Thank you.”

Joe sighs a bit, taking a drink. He pushes his slice of pizza towards Ben. “Peace offering?” he says.

Ben smiles. “No, that’s fine, Joe,” he says, pushing the pizza back towards him. “Eat your pizza, I’m okay. Just a joke, I know.”

“Okay,” Joe says, taking it back.

Gwil pushes his plate away from him, smiling around the table at the three of them.

“Are you done?” Rami asks in surprise.

“Well, we’re on a tour, aren’t we?” Gwil asks. “Don’t want to fill up on the first place, ruin my appetite for the rest.”

“Fair enough,” Rami says, picking at a piece of cheese on his slice. “I think I’m going to keep eating, though,” he says. “I like it.”

“Do you mind?” Joe asks, reaching out to Gwil’s plate. 

“Oh, no,” Gwil says, “by all means.”

“Are you starved?” Ben asks. “Did you not eat yesterday?” He quickly raises his hand. “Before you answer that, I meant _food_, Joe.”

Joe waggles his eyebrows, licking at his lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know what I _ate_ yesterday,” he says.

Rami just rolls his eyes, eating his pizza, but Ben gently clears his throat, giving Gwil a bit of an awkward look, and Gwil just smiles, winking at Ben. Joe’s mouth falls open a bit, and he looks between the two of them, and then smiles. Just as he’s about to say something, Ben stretches his leg out, giving Joe a quick kick to the shin.

“Ow!” Joe exclaims, reaching down to rub his leg. “I wasn’t going to say anything!”

“Yeah, right,” Ben says, “because that sounds like you, keeping quiet for once.” He shakes his head, taking a drink.

Joe just looks at Gwil, and cocks his head to the side a bit. 

“What?” Gwil asks.

“Nothing,” Joe says. “Just…thinking. Imagining things.” 

“Like what?” Gwil asks.

Joe smiles. “You know, just things,” he says, nodding slowly. “Mostly your beard.” He winks at Gwil, then laughs softly when he sees Gwil’s cheeks redden a bit. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, big guy.” He just shakes his head, taking another drink.

\+ + + + +

The four of them walk towards the amusement park, and Gwil reaches out, his hand on Ben’s waist, pulling him closer to him. He kisses Ben’s temple, smiling against him. “Would you look at that,” he says.

Rami smiles over at Joe, a bit of an excited skip in his step. “It’s so pretty,” he says, looking back at the rides. “Did you come here a lot?” he asks.

“Yeah, summer vacations,” Joe says. “School trips. That sort of thing. You want to ride anything?” he asks.

Rami nods eagerly. “Yes, please,” he says, and he hurries ahead a bit, Joe following behind him.

Gwil looks at Ben, who’s looking off to the water. “Are we going on anything?” he asks.

“Uh, if you’d like,” Ben says, looking back up at him. “Sure.”

“The Wonder Wheel?” Gwil asks, and Ben smiles.

“That sounds lovely,” Ben says, and he leans up, giving Gwil a quick kiss.

“Not too high?” Gwil asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No, it should be fine,” he says, looking up at the Ferris wheel. “Besides, I’ll let you hold me.”

“Oh, you will?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods. “Well, thank you,” Gwil says, “it would be my pleasure.” He pulls Ben a little closer as they walk towards the ride. Gwil buys their credits to get on, and they get in line, watching as Rami and Joe go line up for the Spook-A-Rama.

“Is it really quite scary?” Rami asks.

Joe laughs. “Uh, no, not really,” he says. “But don’t worry, we can sleep with the light on tonight if you need.”

Rami smiles. “No, if you think we’ll be alright, we’ll be alright.”

“Yeah?” Joe asks, wrapping his arms around Rami. “You trust me?”

“With my life,” Rami says.

“Wow,” Joe laughs, “well, it may be _kind_ of spooky, but I don’t think it’s life-threatening.”

Rami takes Joe’s hand, looking around at the beach, and the rides, the children running around, and he smiles. “Can we have candy floss afterward?” he asks.

Joe chuckles, nodding. “Absolutely,” he says. “If you survive the Spook-A-Rama, you can have anything you want.”

“And go swimming?” Rami asks, looking out at the water.

“Absolutely,” Joe says. “What else?”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Rami says, smiling at him. “I’m pretty happy as it is.”

“Yeah?” Joe asks. Rami nods. “Okay,” he says, giving him a kiss. “Cotton candy and swimming it is.”

\+ + + + +

Ben raises his hand up, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looks out over the water. He’s warm, and grasps the hem of his t-shirt, waving it over and over, trying to cool himself down. The water is filled with people, mostly children, running around and splashing each other. It’s cold on his feet, and he knows it’s the type of cold that when he first steps into it, it’ll make him shiver and take his breath away, but he also thinks it’ll feel pretty refreshing once he’s in it.

He and Gwil had ridden the Wonder Wheel, while Joe and Rami rode the Spook-A-Rama. There weren’t many other rides there, and Ben wasn’t really in the mood to ride them anyway, so they’d each gotten a treat to eat and walked around, until Rami said that he wanted to go swimming, and Gwil and Joe had eagerly agreed.

Ben isn’t too sure. He’s also not sure when he’s going to talk to Gwil.

Suddenly, there are hands on his shoulders, playfully jerking him, and Ben jumps a bit, turning back to glare at Joe.

“Getting in?” Joe asks.

“Thinking about it,” Ben says.

“Really?” Joe asks in surprise.

“Well, we are at the beach, aren’t we?” Ben asks. “I’ll look daft if I just lay around, sweating my arse off, when the water’s right there.”

Joe smiles. “Uh, yeah, you would. Come on— our towels are just over there,” he says, pointing to where Rami and Gwil are currently taking off their shirts and shoes, and then smiles at Ben. “Come on,” he says, “it’s too hot to just stay out here. Gotta get in! Cool yourself down.”

Ben sighs, and nods, walking over to the towels with Joe. He drops his shoes down on the sand, and then looks around at the beach. 

“Are you swimming?” Rami asks, reaching out to take Joe’s hand, and Ben nods.

“Yeah, just to cool down, I think,” Ben says.

Rami smiles at him, gently squeezing his arm as he walks by him. “Have fun,” he says, and Ben nods.

“Will do,” Ben murmurs, looking over at Gwil, who’s putting his glasses away.

“Ready?” Gwil asks cheerfully, looking up at him, and Ben looks Gwil up and down, before finally shrugging.

“Yeah, suppose so,” Ben says. But he doesn’t make a move.

Gwil looks around, and then steps closer to Ben. “Is there anything I can do, love?” he asks softly, rubbing Ben’s arms.

Ben shakes his head a bit. “Can you make everyone else go away?” he asks. “Just snap your fingers and—” He snaps his fingers, and Gwil smiles.

“Well, I can certainly try,” Gwil says. “Do you just want me to cover you instead?” He shifts on the sand, smiling down at Ben, and Ben sighs, reaching down to tug his shirt over his head, dropping it on the sand by his shoes. “And then we can just run _really_ quickly into the water,” he says, “how’s that sound?”

Ben glances at the water, and then points to a spot that’s relatively empty, compared to the busier bits around it. “Can we just go there?” he asks.

“Perfect,” Gwil says, reaching out to take Ben’s hand, walking with him down to the water. “Is it cold?” he asks.

“It is, yeah,” Ben says, his fingers nervously clenching and unclenching in the material of his shorts, staring down at the sand. They take their first step into the water and Gwil starts laughing.

“Well, you weren’t lying,” Gwil says. “God. Let’s just run in and get it over with then,” he says. “You alright?” he asks.

“Yeah, fine,” Ben agrees, and Gwil hurries into the water, Ben following behind him until Gwil lets goes of his hand and then dives under the water, coming back up with a big grin on his face.

“That’s amazing,” Gwil says, “god, I feel better already. Come on, love, you will too.”

Ben nods and crouches down in the water, dunking himself in completely before standing back up, shivering a bit. “Fuck that’s cold,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest, mostly trying to hide the fact that his nipples are hard.

“God, it’s beautiful here,” Gwil says, looking around before floating on his back, pushing himself out a bit further. “I love swimming. It’s so nice. London’s kind of shit for it.”

Ben smiles at that, walking alongside Gwil, nodding. “You think?” he asks. “You’re not just itching to dive off a bridge into the Thames? That sounds brilliant.”

Gwil laughs and then rolls over to his stomach, pushing himself through the water. After a few more feet, he finally stands up, the water coming up to just about his shoulders. He glances over at Ben, who’s still a few feet behind him. “Come on now, love,” he says, “I won’t let you drown.”

Ben smiles and swims the last few feet over to Gwil, clasping his arms around Gwil’s neck, chuckling softly when Gwil reaches down to slide his hands under Ben’s ass, lifting him up a bit. “Watch it, Gwil,” he says, “there are children around, you know.”

“No, Joe and Rami are all the way over there,” Gwil says, looking off in another direction, and then he smiles back at Ben. “I’m not doing anything,” he says. “I just like your arse.”

Ben chuckles, and grips a bit tighter onto him as Gwil take a couple more steps, shifting his weight so he’s up a bit further out of the water.

“Maybe I should have been a marine biologist instead,” Gwil says, looking around. “Could’ve gone to the bottom of the ocean.” He sighs a bit. “I bet time passes the same down there.”

Ben frowns a bit, and decides not to address it. Instead, he just dramatically shudders in Gwil’s arms. “Ugh, I hate to think about what’s down there,” he says. “Please don’t tell me.”

Gwil laughs. “Afraid of heights, afraid of the ocean, come on love— where can I take you?”

“The ground,” Ben says, “solid ground is just fine by me. Besides, I’m not afraid of the ocean, am I? I’m in it right now.”

“Fair enough,” Gwil says. He pulls him in closer, water splashing up between them. Ben shivers a bit, and Gwil smiles.

“Perfect temperature,” Gwil says, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“You would say that,” Ben says. “My bollocks feel like they’re about to fall off.”

Gwil laughs softly, running his fingers up and down Ben’s back, and Ben shivers again, feeling the water trail down his spine. “That would be a terrible shame,” he says, and Ben has to smile.

“Yes, you do love my bollocks,” Ben says, and Gwil laughs loudly.

“I won’t deny it,” Gwil says. “I’m a simple man, simple desires.”

“Don’t— you make yourself sound so weird,” Ben says, laughing. “Fuck, stop taking romance lessons from Joe. It’s not going to get you anywhere with me.” 

Gwil smiles, and spins them around a bit, water splashing up around them before he comes to a stop. “Oh, but it’s so much fun, love,” Gwil says. 

Ben smiles and settles against Gwil, perfectly content to let him and the water take his weight. He takes a deep breath, resting his head against Gwil’s shoulder, dipping his fingertips into the water, taking them back out to watch water droplets run down Gwil’s arm. He swirls his finger in the water, watching it whirl, and then he frowns a bit. It’s the first time, really, that he and Gwil have been alone all day, except for when they were getting ready in the morning. If he’s going to tell him, he’s got to tell him now.

Gwil hums a quiet noise and looks out at the water. “Do you want to swim a bit further out?” he asks suddenly. “Or is it too deep for you?”

Ben glances out at the water, and then back at Gwil. “Yeah, we can,” he says.

Gwil frowns a bit, looking at Ben. “But?” he asks.

“But what?” Ben asks.

Gwil shakes his head a bit. “Nothing, sorry, I just…thought it sounded like—”

“I need to tell you something,” Ben says suddenly.

“Yeah, that’s what it sounded like,” Gwil says, and Ben sighs a bit. “What is it? Did something happen? Is it— being out here, with everyone?”

“No,” Ben says, “it’s not that.” Gwil nods. “It’s not even anything bad, not really,” Ben continues. “I just…I don’t know why I keep putting it o— well, no, I do know,” he says. “I…I’m worried about something.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. “You can tell me, whatever it is.”

“I know,” Ben says softly. “I think that’s why I feel so stupid, I _know_ that.” He bites on the inside of his lip, and then looks at Gwil. “I, uh, well…I’ve made a list— I’ve done some research, and I made a list.”

“Of what?” Gwil asks.

Ben frowns a bit. “Uh, universities. That have the course I want to take. That I’m going to apply to.”

Gwil looks at Ben, blinking a couple times, as if trying to comprehend what Ben’s saying, and then he slowly smiles. “Yeah?” he asks. “That’s— good. I’m proud of you, love.”

Ben briefly glances away. “You might not be,” he says quietly.

“What?” Gwil asks. “Why not? You— you do know I was a professor, yeah?” He smiles. “I happen to quite enjoy school. How many are you applying to?” he asks.

Ben shifts in the water, sighing, shoulders slumping. “They’re…there are four or five, I think,” he says, “that I’d be alright with.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. “And…” He looks at Ben expectantly. “What’s wrong then?”

“What’s wrong is…” Ben pouts his lips a bit, trying to think of how to continue. “Well, it’s— it’s silly, really, it’s just…one— only one is in London.” He blinks a couple times, looking at Gwil, who’s watching him back, not saying anything. “Gwil?” he prompts.

“Yes,” Gwil says, “I heard you. Sorry, I— I thought you were still talking.”

“No,” Ben says, shaking his head. “That’s…it.”

“That’s it,” Gwil echoes, and Ben nods. “Uh…what’s it? Sorry, I—”

“I know if I say, what if I don’t get in to any of them,” Ben says, “you’ll just say, _oh Ben love, of course you’ll get in, you’re brilliant and they’ll be lucky to have you_.”

Gwil chuckles softly. “Well…” he shrugs.

“But I might not get into _all_ of them,” Ben says. “There’re— there’s no way to guarantee that.”

“No, you’re right,” Gwil says. “I know I’m a bit out of touch— I mean, I had a mate at uni who just sort of…showed up one day, told one of the professors he thought he was brilliant and asked if he could sit in on his class. I don’t think he ever even touched an application.”

Ben smiles faintly. “Yeah, it’s a bit different than that, these days,” he says. “Rules are a bit more strict.”

Gwil nods. “But love, I am sure you’ll get in somewhere. I mean, you studied law, you worked for the IIS, come on, who isn’t going—”

“I’m not worried I won’t get in, Gwil,” Ben says. “I—” He looks down. “You know uh, believe it or not, I— I actually used to think I was quite smart.” He gives Gwil a quick smile, a fake one, then looks away again, shifting in Gwil’s arms. “I guess I…part of me still knows I am. Maybe? I— I don’t know anymore.” He frowns, shaking his head a bit. “No, I— I’m quite sure I’ll get in.”

“So what’s wrong?” Gwil asks.

“What if I don’t get in in London?” Ben asks softly. “If I— what do I do if the only place I can get accepted is— is Glasgow. Or Dublin.” He looks at Gwil, who still clearly doesn’t understand. “What do _we_ do?” he asks.

Gwil smiles at him. “I—” he shakes his head a bit, water flicking off him. “Well…first off, find a flat, I suppose. Though, how nice of one, well, I guess will depend on if you would want to stay there to find a job afterward, or if you’d plan on coming back to London.” They hear a shriek in the water, and Gwil looks over, smiling.

But Ben just looks at Gwil, brow furrowed in confusion. “I…what do you mean?” he asks.

“I just mean, if we were going to stay there permanently,” Gwil says, looking back at him, “we’d probably want to find some place quite nice, like Joe and Rami’s. If we were only going to stay there while you were studying, something smaller would be fine. But, whatever you’d like, of course. I—” He smiles faintly. “Maybe we could finally get that cat Rami’s been trying to push on me.”

Ben looks at Gwil, mouth hanging open just a bit. “You mean you’d…” Ben blinks a couple times. “You’d come with me?” he asks softly.

“Well, yes,” Gwil says, “of course. I mean, if you wanted me to. I’d understand if you didn’t, if you’d rather focus on your studies, but—”

“Really?” Ben asks. “You’d…with me.”

Gwil smiles at him. “_Really_,” he says. He straightens up a bit. “Is that— that’s why you were worried?” he asks. “You thought—”

“Well, Rami’s here,” Ben says. “Or, not _here_, obviously,” he says, letting go of Gwil briefly to wave his hand around, “London, I mean. He’s…he’s…everything to you.”

“And by the time you start uni,” Gwil says, “Rami will have just graduated himself, and be almost married, probably with a baby on the way. I think he can handle being on his own for a bit.”

“I don’t…” Ben shakes his head. “I don’t— I was worried that Rami would…”

“What?” Gwil asks.

“Be upset with me,” Ben says. “Blame me for taking you away from him, or something.”

Gwil smiles. “You were worried that Rami, the nicest person that either of us know, would…be angry with you?” he asks. “That’s— well, not very realistic, frankly.”

Ben makes a bit of face. “I don’t know, you might be surprised with how angry he got at me when you went to Germany.” Gwil smiles. “But, no, I— well, I guess— I just didn’t want to put you in a position where you had to choose,” he says. “I was scared that you…I mean, I love Rami, and I’d understand if you picked him, I— he’s brilliant, and I don’t want you to have to leave him, but…” He swallows hard. “I just didn’t think you’d pick me,” he says.

“I— if you told me you were applying to— well, _here_,” Gwil says, looking around at the water and the beach, “I might be a bit more hesitant. That would be a longer conversation. But, where— Dublin? Glasgow? I— love, I could still see Rami and Joe every weekend if I wanted to.”

Ben smiles faintly, nodding. “Yeah, probably,” he says.

“I— sure,” Gwil says, “London would probably be a _bit_ more convenient, considering we both still have flats there, but I— you know, I found my flat all on my own.”

“I helped a bit,” Ben says.

“All on my own,” Gwil says again, and Ben smiles, rolling his eyes a bit. “I could find a flat in Glasgow, or wherever. I don’t know. That’s…how hard could it be?”

Ben shakes his head a bit. “Not at all,” he says. “Not for someone like you, making dinner reservations online and all that.”

“Exactly,” Gwil says proudly. “I’d find something brilliant for the both of us,” he says. “I— I wish you’d told me earlier, love,” he says, reaching out to brush a piece of hair back from Ben’s forehead, fingertips trailing down over his cheekbone, leaving drops of water in their wake. “We’ve been here a week. How long’ve you been worried this?”

Ben swallows hard. “Longer than a week,” he says. “Since I…started looking. I just…didn’t know how you’d react, and I thought— as long as I didn’t tell you, I could still pretend it would be alright. That—”

“It _will_ be alright,” Gwil says. “I’m afraid you’re rather stuck with me at this point.” He tightens his arms around Ben a bit, pulling him in closer. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

Ben smiles at him, leaning in to give him a kiss. “I suppose that sounds alright,” he says.

“Does it?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods, curling his fingers against the back of Gwil’s neck, kissing him again. “Well, brilliant, then.” Gwil sighs, narrowing his eyes a bit as he looks around the water for Rami and Joe. “And what does Joe say?” he asks.

“How do you know Joe knows?” Ben asks.

“Oh, I imagine at this point that Joe knows everything about everyone,” Gwil says.

Ben smiles. “He told me I’m a genius and that I should’ve told you sooner,” he says.

“Well, two points for Joe Mazzello,” Gwil says.

“I’m not a genius, Gwil,” Ben says.

Gwil shrugs. “That’s debatable,” he says. “How do we even define genius, anyway.”

Ben groans softly. “Alright, Gwil, point taken.”

“It’s rather subjective, honestly, no one can know _everything_—” Gwil continues, and Ben reaches out, putting his hand over Gwil’s mouth. Gwil smiles under his hand, and then Ben yanks his hand back when he feels Gwil’s tongue worming out of his mouth, wiggling against his skin. “God Gwil,” he says, dunking his hand in the water. “What are you, twelve?”

“My tongue was in your arse last night,” Gwil says, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, I know, that’s why I don’t need you licking my hand,” Ben says, and Gwil chuckles.

“You know, love,” Gwil says, “I know I’ve had some bad moments in the past, but I’m not nearly as scary as you think I am.”

Ben smiles at him. “I don’t think you’re scary at all,” he says. “I just…” He trails off.

“Just what?” Gwil asks.

Ben shakes his head a bit. “I— would you believe that I’ve just gotten used to not being alone?” he says.

“You?” Gwil asks, smiling. “I thought you loved being alone.”

Ben smiles back. “I think you ruined me for it,” he says. “I mean, I moved to London on my own, _twice_. I’m alright on my own, I just…the idea of leaving everyone now…” He shrugs a bit. “I guess I just don’t want to, is all.”

Gwil leans in, giving Ben a kiss. “And you won’t have to,” he says.

“Promise?” Ben asks, unable to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

Gwil nods, kissing him again. “Promise,” he says.

“Okay,” Ben says. “I mean, we don’t have to worry yet, I— maybe I can stay in London,” he says.

“Maybe,” Gwil says, nodding, “that’d be lovely. London’s grown on me a bit.”

“But if not…” Ben says, resting his head against Gwil, taking a deep breath.

“Don’t worry about that now,” Gwil says. “There’s not a thing to worry about.”

Ben nods slowly, and lifts his hand up from Gwil, looking at his ring. “Okay,” he says finally.

“Yeah?” Gwil asks, sounds a bit surprised.

Ben nods. “Sure, okay,” he says. “I…I guess I can start listening to you,” he says, and Gwil chuckles. “Maybe it won’t be all bad.”

“No, love,” Gwil says, “it’ll be fine.”

Ben smiles gratefully at him, and then looks around, carefully letting go of Gwil, treading water. “Do you want to swim a bit further out?” he asks, glancing over his shoulder.

Gwil nods, smiling at Ben, pushing off from the ground, slowly heading a bit further out. He looks over at Ben, who swims a few feet and then turns onto his back, closing his eyes against the sun. “I thought we were swimming,” Gwil says.

“I am,” Ben says, opening his eyes, pushing himself out a few feet further.

“You look like a bloody model,” Gwil says, and Ben immediately drops his legs back into the water, turning onto his stomach. “Well, that doesn’t really change anything.”

“You’re one to talk,” Ben says, looking over at him. “God, bloody six-foot-forever, walking around with those blue eyes.” He smiles, shaking his head a bit. “I can’t believe it sometimes.” He bites down on his lip, looking over at Gwil. “I didn’t know people back then were so fit.”

“Well, it was just me,” Gwil says, and Ben laughs loudly. “I got hired for my good looks.”

Ben snorts, laughing again. “I swear, you’ve been spending too much time with Joe, I don’t like this.” He quickly dives under the water, coming back up, shaking his head a bit, smiling at Gwil. 

“Having fun?” Gwil asks, and Ben nods happily. “Good,” he says.

“Are you?” Ben asks.

“Absolutely,” Gwil says, and Ben smiles over at him.

They keep swimming, going out a bit further and then coming back in, treading water, Ben resting against Gwil again, until Gwil looks at Ben and runs his finger down his nose. “Your freckles are showing,” he says, and Ben nods.

“Too much sun then,” Ben says. “Getting a bit tired, too.” Gwil smiles at him, turning to swim back in towards shore, Ben following behind. They stand up in the stand and walk in the rest of the way, Gwil reaching out to take Ben’s hand, and Ben smiles over at him.

“Well, well, well,” Joe says, looking up at them from where he’s resting on his towel, “if it isn’t the two lovebirds.”

Ben snorts, dropping down next to him. “Oh?” he says. “What are you two, then?”

“Well, well, well,” Joe says again, “if it isn’t the _four_ lovebirds.”

“Mmm,” Rami murmurs in agreement from where he’s laying on his stomach, arms folded under his chin. “Did you have a nice time?” he asks without opening his eyes.

“Brilliant,” Gwil says, settling down next to him.

“Good,” Rami says, “good good.”

Ben sits down next to Joe, who hands him his towel, and he starts drying off his arms and chest. He leaves the towel on his lap, covering his lower stomach, and he looks around.

“What’s up?” Joe asks.

“Nothing,” Ben says. “What are you two up to?” he asks.

“Sleeping,” Rami says, and Ben smiles.

“Yes, you were out late last night, weren’t you,” he says, nudging at Rami with his foot. Rami smiles bashfully, turning his face away. “I think I heard you come in.”

“Oh,” Joe says, “did you hear us _come_—”

“Joe, stop,” Rami says, and Gwil and Ben both chuckle.

“Thankfully, no,” Ben says. “Otherwise I’d be scarred for life.” He looks around, and then bites down on his lip, stifling a yawn. He shifts on the sand, reaching down to draw a small circle with his finger. “I don’t want to today to be over,” he says. 

“What do you mean?” Rami asks, looking back over at him.

Ben shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says, “just…we fly back tomorrow. I know I don’t work, so my whole life is sort of like holiday, but it was just really nice to get away. I don’t want it to end.”

“End?” Joe asks. “Oh Benny, it’s not ending. Not yet, anyway.”

Ben narrows his eyes at Joe. “I don’t like the sounds of that,” he says.

“Of what?” Joe asks.

“I don’t know,” Ben says, “that just sounds…vaguely threatening.”

Joe smiles. “Dude, we’re just going to a bar for food and drinks,” he says. “Stop being so paranoid.”

Ben looks at Joe for a moment longer. “Fine,” he says. “But I still don’t trust it.”

“Are we off soon then?” Gwil asks.

Joe shrugs. “Whenever everybody’s ready to go,” he says. “No rush here.”

Ben reaches over Rami to grab his t-shirt, tugging it on over his head, and then gives them a quick smile. “Yeah, I’m fine here,” he says, settling back on the sand. He folds his arm behind his head, and closes his eyes. “Wake me when Joe needs to get drunk.” Gwil and Rami laugh, and Joe playfully hits Ben on the chest. “What?” Ben asks, looking up at him. “Don’t act like you’re not going to be drinking like a fish tonight.”

“Well, obviously I am,” Joe says. “Just don’t act like I’m going to be the only one. Come on, Benny, you know how I like to get you drunk,” he says, playfully shaking Ben’s shoulders. Ben groans, swatting at his hands. “Come on, Benny,” he says again.

“Gwil,” Ben whines, “get Joe to stop bothering me.”

“Oh, he’s just having a bit of fun, love,” Gwil says, and then he grins at Ben, winking.

“I’m fucking staying on this beach,” Ben mutters, rolling onto his stomach. “Leave me be.” 

Rami opens his eyes, looking over at Ben. “I’ll stay with you,” he says. 

“Thank you,” Ben says, smiling over at him.

“You’re welcome,” Rami says, closing his eyes again.

“Joe and Gwil date night!” Joe sings, reaching over to give Gwil a high-five. Gwil smiles and raises his arm, letting Joe smack the palm of his hand. “Thank you, Gwil!” Joe says, settling back. “Nice to know I’m appreciated.”

“_I_ appreciate you,” Rami says, looking up at him. “Or did you forget your ring already?”

“Yeah, did you guys hear I’m engaged?” Joe asks, looking at Ben and Gwil. “Like, the best fucking guy on the planet proposed to me. I— man, I’m lucky.”

Gwil smiles at Rami, and then looks over at Joe. “You certainly are,” he says, and Rami smiles too.

\+ + + + +

“No,” Ben says, shaking his head.

“Come on, Ben,” Joe says, clapping his hands on Ben’s shoulders. “What’s the problem?”

“No,” Ben says again. “Gwil, tell him no.”

“I’m sort of interested in it, honestly, love,” Gwil says. “We didn’t have anything like this before back home.”

“It’s just a bar! Drinks, food. Don’t worry about it,” Joe says. “Nobody’s going to make you sing, Ben.”

“Oh, really?” Ben asks. “Because making me sing sounds like a very _you_ thing to do,” he says.

“You don’t have to if you don't want to, Ben,” Rami says gently, and Ben looks over at him, relaxing a bit. “I’m hungry, is anybody else?”

“_Starving_,” Joe says, “so Ben, can we go in?” he asks. “Please?”

Ben sighs. “Fine,” he says finally. “I’m hungry too, I guess.” He looks over at Gwil, who’s smiling at him. “I’ll go back to the hotel before he makes me get up there,” he says, relaxing a bit when Gwil’s hand settles on his lower back.

“I don’t doubt it,” Gwil says, brushing his lips against Ben’s temple, holding the door open for him.

Joe looks around, and the bartender tells him they can sit wherever they want, so Joe leads them over to a table near the window, smiling at Rami, pulling his chair out for him. “My fiancé,” he says, and Rami smiles at him.

“Thank you,” he says.

“I think you were two were already engaged yesterday,” Ben says, sitting down across from Rami, and Joe dramatically glares at him.

“Uh, yeah, but yesterday, nobody had proposed to me,” Joe says. “I’m a brand-new guy today. You’re just jealous.”

Ben snorts, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, maybe of you,” he says. “But I’m not jealous of him.”

“Oh, whatever,” Joe says, “you’re just pissed someone finally put a ring on it and it wasn’t you.”

Ben raises his hand, and lifts his eyebrows, looking pointedly at his ring. “I think I’m doing alright, actually,” he says.

Joe smiles, looking over at Gwil, who’s sat across from him. “Do you have something to share with the class, Gwil?” he asks. “Also, we need drinks. Who wants what?” He pushes his chair back a bit, looking around. “Beers for everyone?”

Gwil shrugs. “That’s fine with me,” he says. “Do you need a hand?”

“No, I’m good,” Joe says, standing up. “Just make two trips.” He walks over to the bar, and Rami turns, smiling at Ben and Gwil.

“What’s the first thing you have to do when you get home?” Rami asks.

“Ugh, I don’t know,” Ben shrugs. “Sleep for a week? I suppose you’re excited to see Augie.”

“I hope he’s missed me, and that he’s not angry we left,” Rami says, “I want to spend an entire day cuddling with him.”

Ben chuckles softly. “I’m sure your son will be happy you’re home,” he says. “I just know he’s missed you.”

Gwil shifts back in his seat, one hand resting on the back of Ben’s chair while his other hand raps a couple times on the table. “What sorts of holidays are we going to go one when you two’ve got a baby in tow?” he asks.

Rami smiles and shrugs, looking up when Joe comes back with two glasses, and then turns around again to grab the other two. He hands one drink to Ben, and the other to Gwil. 

“Cheers,” Gwil says softly, taking the glass.

“Here we are,” Joe says, sitting back down next to Rami, handing him a glass. “To our final night in New York, right guys?” he says, lifting his drink.

“To the best holiday I’ve ever had,” Rami says.

“Absolutely,” Gwil agrees, “it was brilliant.”

Ben nods, lifting his glass as well, and then they all take a drink.

“Now,” Joe says, “I want every appetizer they’ve got in this place and we’re buying them all.” He looks at the menu. “Oh my god,” he groans, “this place is amazing. Look at everything. What are we splitting?” he asks. “Anything interest you guys?”

Gwil looks at the menu, and Ben leans in, looking as well. After a moment, Gwil snorts, trying not to laugh, and the other three look at him in confusion. “Uh, nothing,” he says.

Ben looks down at the menu, trying to figure it out. “What,” he murmurs softly, eyes scanning over the page.

“Nothing, love,” Gwil says, smiling. “Uh, the sliders look good,” he says.

They all look at the sliders, and then Joe laughs loudly. “The Italian Stallion!” he exclaims. “That’s me, baby!”

“Sadly, I have to admit that it sounds delicious,” Gwil says, and Rami laughs.

“I’m sure it tastes wonderful,” Rami says, winking at Joe, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“Okay, enough of that,” he says.

“So, Joe Mazzello sliders,” Joe says. “What else?”

“Let’s get nachos,” Rami says, “to share.”

“Jumbo fried shrimp,” Ben says.

“I think that’s enough to start, isn’t it?” Joe asks.

“I think it’s enough to finish too,” Rami says.

“No way, babe,” Joe protests, “we’re going to be here all night. We’re four grown men, and one of them is me. We’re going to need way more than that.”

“What did I say about money?” Rami asks.

“And what did _I_ say about money?” Joe says. “Vacation, New York, anniversary.”

“Fine,” Rami mutters.

“My treat,” Gwil says. “As a thank you.”

“Gwil, no,” Rami says, at the same time that Joe says, “thank you, Gwil.” Rami looks at Joe, who’s smiling.

“Drinks on Gwil, time to get wasted,” Joe says, starting to dance in his chair, winking at Ben. “Ben, your boyfriend’s flirting with me.”

“I really don’t think so,” Ben says. 

“Oooh, I’m getting laid tonight,” Joe says, still dancing.

Gwil’s eyes widen. “Not by me, you’re not,” he says.

“Come on, Gwil,” Joe says, “last night in New York, live a little.”

“I’m living just fine, Joe,” Gwil says.

“Why are you dancing?” Rami asks. “You’ve had two sips of beer, you can’t be pissed already.”

“Because it’s our last night in New York,” Joe says. “It’s fun, I’m having fun. Celebrating with my three best dudes.” He winks at Ben. “Gonna do some karaoke later.”

Ben groans. “Have fun with that.”

“I’m thinking a duet,” Joe says.

“Think again,” Ben says.

“I’m gonna go order some food,” Joe says, pushing his chair back again. “And I’m going to think about my song choice.”

“Have fun,” Ben says, waving at him.

“I will,” Joe says, walking over to the bar.

“So people just sing here?” Rami asks, looking around.

Ben nods, glancing at his watch. “Yeah, it probably doesn’t start for an hour or two, but yeah.”

“And Joe said the words just come up,” Rami says. “So you don’t even have to know the song?”

“Right,” Ben says.

Rami thinks for a moment, then shrugs. “It sounds sort of fun,” he says. “Will Joe sing?”

“Yes,” Ben says, sounding a bit tired already.

“Have you been to karaoke bars with him before?” Gwil asks.

Ben sighs. “Yes,” he says. “Like the…second time he convinced me to hang out with him. He serenaded me.”

“Oooh,” Rami says, and Gwil laughs.

“How romantic,” he says.

“It was mortifying,” Ben says. “At least now he has Rami to sing romantic songs to.”

“What about romantic songs?” Joe asks, dropping back down in his seat.

“Which one are you going to sing to me?” Rami asks, looking at him.

“Oh, that’s a surprise,” Joe says. “But it’s going to be a good one.”

“I bet,” Rami says, leaning in to give Joe a kiss.

After they sit and chat for a few minutes, their server appears with their food, and Joe groans as he looks at it all. “Yummy,” he says softly, picking up a nacho.

“Don’t forget your Italian Stallion,” Rami says, pushing the plate of sliders towards Gwil.

“I could never,” Gwil says, and Joe winks at him.

“What sorts of things should we do when we get back?” Rami asks. “It’s my last summer holiday, you know. I don’t want to waste it.”

“Ooh yes, my man’s going back to school,” Joe says. “Uh, I don’t know! I mean, _I_ still work—” he says, pointedly looking at Ben and Gwil, “but my weekends are wide open, you know that.”

“The beach,” Gwil says, reaching out to rest his hand on Ben’s leg, giving him a gentle squeeze. “We’ll certainly have to go back to the beach.”

“There’s one in West London, isn’t there?” Joe asks.

“Or someplace a bit nicer,” Rami says, “like Wales.”

“Oh, right,” Joe says, nodding. “Fair enough.”

“Are you excited?” Ben asks, looking over at Rami. “For uni?”

Rami thinks for a moment, and then shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says. “It’s been awhile since I was…a student, really. I’m sort of nervous about how much things may have changed.”

“You know, if you need help,” Ben says, “of any sort, I can help. I can— well, I don’t know anything about engineering,” he says, “but I can…well, I’d learn. If it would help.” He smiles at Rami. “I can test you, or— or proofread your essays, anything like that.”

“Thank you, Ben,” Rami says, smiling at him. “I appreciate that very much, it’s very kind of you.”

“Of course,” Ben says. “I want you to do well. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” Rami says again. “I’m sure I’ll take you up on it. I might need you to tell me what sorts of things people wear to uni now. I— I have no idea what it’ll be like.”

Ben chuckles softly, nodding. “Yes, any questions you have,” he says. “I guess of the four of us I was most recently a student. I just really hope you like it.”

“Me too,” Rami says, “but I guess, well, if I don’t, it’s just a year. I mean, I went to space for a year, I can survive uni.”

“Cheers to that,” Joe says.

Gwil gently clears his throat and leans in towards Ben. He whispers in Ben’s ear, and then Ben swallows hard as Gwil settles back in his seat. “I’m—” he looks over at Joe and Rami, then glances at Gwil. “I’m actually applying, myself,” Ben says.

“You are?” Joe asks, feigning surprise, and Ben rolls his eyes.

“I am, yeah,” Ben says.

“That’s wonderful,” Rami says quickly. “You— you are? You’re going back?”

Ben nods. “Hopefully, yeah,” he says. “Uh, I’d…well, I’d be starting right when you finish. I’m a bit behind, I guess, since it took me so long to decide on what to do, but…I’m going to do it.”

“That’s amazing, Ben,” Rami says. 

“Just make sure you don’t have any essays due the weekend we’re getting married,” Joe says. “Okay? I need my best man there.” He smiles at Ben.

Ben looks down though, blinking a couple times. “Oh,” he says, “I wasn’t even thinking—”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Gwil says quickly. “Right? It’s still a year-and-a-half away, let’s not borrow trouble and worry about that now.”

“Right,” Joe says, “yeah, sorry.”

“Where’re you applying?” Rami asks, picking up a jumbo shrimp.

“Uh,” Ben nods as he thinks, “uh, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, and Aberystwyth.”

“That’s proper Welsh,” Rami says, smiling at Gwil. “Did you teach him that?”

“Not at all,” Gwil says, “that’s all Ben.”

“Did you just decide yesterday?” Rami asks. “On your date?” He looks at Gwil. “Gwil, if your romantic date included time to research universities, you and I need to work on your definition of romantic.”

Gwil laughs, and Ben shakes his head. “No, I’ve— I’ve been thinking about it for a bit now,” he says. “Just…well, wasn’t sure about it yet.” He shrugs. “But, yeah. That’s my news. I just…wanted to say. Didn’t want you to think I’m hiding it.”

“Brilliant!” Rami says. “That’s exciting, Ben. That’s something to really look forward to, you know.” He smiles at Ben. “We’re going to have like, proper lives soon.”

“Uh, what are we doing now then?” Joe asks.

“Well, you already have a proper life,” Rami says. “You’ve got a job, at least.”

“Don’t remind me,” Joe says. “Ugh when do I go back again?” he asks.

“Thursday,” Rami says.

“God fucking dammit,” Joe mutters to himself. “Why don’t I just quit? Why do I always talk about retiring and then never do it?” he asks.

Rami rolls his eyes a bit. “The money, Joe,” he says.

“Oh yeah, right,” Joe says. “Hmm. Okay. Well, I can’t wait for parental leave,” he says, picking up one of the sliders.

Ben laughs. “Joe’s big plan to get time off work is to have a baby. Brilliant, Joe.”

Gwil smiles, chuckling as well.

“So Ben,” Joe says, “are you going to pick a song to sing tonight or do you need me to pick one for you?”

Ben just picks up his glass and gives Joe the finger while taking a drink.

Joe just smirks at him. “We’ll see,” he says, taking a drink of his own.

They order another round of drinks, and they all look at the menu again, ordering more food. Rami’s chewing on Brussels sprouts with bacon, and Joe’s offering a rib to Ben when the music in the bar turns off, and they turn towards the sound of someone clearing their throat into a microphone.

“Fuck yes,” Joe says, “and so the show begins.”

“I can’t watch this,” Ben says, settling back in his seat, shifting a bit closer to Gwil. “God, what if they’re awful?”

“Are they supposed to be good?” Gwil asks, glancing over at him.

“No,” Ben says, “you’re just supposed to do it for fun. But sometimes people are _really_ bad, and I feel terrible for them.”

“I think we should move onto shots,” Joe says. “You guys aren’t nearly drunk enough yet to get up there. What are we thinking, tequila? Gin?”

Ben dramatically gags.

“I would do it, maybe,” Rami says, “but I wouldn’t know any of the songs.”

“You’ve caught up on a lot of music, babe,” Joe says. “I’m sure you could find one you know.” He looks over at Gwil. “What do you think, big guy?”

“Oh, I’m…not much of a singer,” Gwil says. “I— I don’t know about that.”

“Hmm,” Joe says, frowning a bit. “So, shots then,” he says, pushing his chair back.

“I’m almost starting to regret saying I’d pay for this,” Gwil murmurs, leaning towards Ben. “Since I think he’s dead-set on getting us as pissed as possible.”

“I’m not drinking any more tonight,” Ben says, pushing his glass away from him. “I’m worried I’ll do something I regret.”

“Why would you regret it, love?” Gwil asks. “I’ve heard you sing, you have a perfectly lovely voice.”

Ben looks down at the table, starting to feel a bit nervous just at the thought of it. “Uh, no, I don’t think so,” he says.

Joe appears back at their table, four shot glasses in his hands, smiling. “I compromised and got us four Sour Apples,” he says, sitting back down.

“Oh god,” Ben mutters. He eyes the shot that Joe pushes towards him, and then looks up at the older woman standing at the microphone, currently doing a rendition of a Mariah Carey song from the ‘90s. He winces a bit and then tosses the drink back. “God,” he says, swallowing again. He looks at Gwil, who’s smiling. “Don’t judge me,” he says, and Gwil laughs, leaning in to kiss Ben’s temple.

“Never, love,” Gwil says, tossing back his own shot. “Jesus,” he mutters, rubbing at his throat.

“Yummy, huh?” Joe asks. “I signed up to sing while I was up there, just FYI everyone.”

“Oh Joe,” Ben groans. “Please don’t.”

“Why not?” Joe asks. “Okay, you can be embarrassed and nervous about you, and I get that, but I like my voice and I have no problem showing it off to the people of Brooklyn. We all know: I have no shame.” He smiles at Rami, who just smiles back. “It’s a gift that I’m going to give them before we go home.” He turns in his seat, watching the woman singing with a smile on his face.

Ben sighs, shaking his head a bit.

“You know,” Gwil says, “he’s sort of right.”

“Gwil,” Ben says, “don’t.”

“We’re in a city— a _country_ where we know almost no one,” Gwil says. “There are only three people in this bar who will ever see you again, and they just so happen to be the three people in the world who would never judge you.”

Ben sighs, tapping his fingers on the table a couple times. “You just want me to serenade you,” he says after a moment, looking up at him.

Gwil smiles, reaching up, his fingers under Ben’s chin, tilting his head up to give him a kiss. “You do know how much I like the pretty noises you make,” he murmurs, and Ben blushes, looking away again. He kisses Ben on the cheek, and then laughs.

Rami and Joe glance over at them, and Rami smiles. “What’s going on?” he asks.

“Ben’s going to give us a song,” Gwil says, and Ben’s eyes widen.

“I am not,” he says quickly.

“Oh, will you?” Rami asks eagerly.

Joe raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Should I tell them your secret?” he asks.

“Ooh,” Gwil says, shifting in his chair. “You’ve got a secret?”

“He does,” Joe says.

“No,” Ben says. He looks at Joe, and Joe just winks, turning back to the singer again.

After she finishes, and they politely applaud, Joe looks around. “More shots?” he asks. He glances back over when a second singer starts, a man singing a modern rock song. They watched the singer, distracted for a few seconds, and then they all turn back to each other.

“Sure,” Rami says, “why not? We are on holiday.”

Joe gets up and goes to the bar, coming back a couple minutes later with four more shots. He immediately tosses his back, making a face. “Whew, that’s good.”

Gwil taps his shot glass against Ben’s, then leans in giving him a kiss. “Cheers, love,” he says.

Ben sighs, and gives him a reluctant smile, lifting his shot up. “Cheers,” he says, tossing his drink back. He shakes his head a bit, and then sighs, giving Gwil another kiss. He hums softly, tapping his fingers on the table to the beat. He reaches out, picking at the nachos, gone a bit cold now, but he grabs a couple anyway. 

The man finishes his rock song, and then a group of three goes up, and Joe looks around at the table, waggling his eyebrows. The three start loudly singing, all off-key and none completely sure of the words, and Gwil winces a bit, leaning towards Ben. 

“Can’t be as bad as all that, love,” he says, and Ben chuckles, picking at the corner of his napkin.

Another man starts, and Joe sighs. “I’m thirsty again. Are we still drinking?”

“Maybe just a lager,” Rami says. “I’ll go this time. Anyone else?” he asks, glancing around the table.

Joe shrugs, grabbing a couple French fries. “I don’t know, I like the Sour Apple,” he says. “Bring me a whole…plate? Is that how they serve shots? Plates?” He cocks his head to the side a bit, thinking. “Tray, that’s it,” he says, grabbing another fry.

Ben looks at Rami, eyebrows raised as if to say, really, _him_, and Rami just sighs, shaking his head a bit.

“Honestly, I quite liked the Sour Apple as well,” Gwil says, “but maybe a lager is for the best.”

“Ben?” Rami asks, glancing at him.

Ben watches the man singing for a moment, and then he raps his knuckles on the table a couple times. “I’ll just come with you,” he says, pushing his chair back. He glances back when he feels a hand on his ass, and sees Gwil smiling cheekily at him, and Ben just rolls his eyes a bit, shaking his head, following Rami to the bar.

Rami catches the bartender’s attention, and she walks over, taking his order. When she walks away, Rami turns to Ben with a smile. “Scared to be left alone with Joe and Gwil?” he asks.

“Bloody hell,” Ben mutters, shaking his head, leaning against the bar. “I should’ve known he’d try to pull something like this on our last night.”

“You know he’s just teasing,” Rami says. “He’s…I know he’s a lot sometimes.” They look over when the man finishes his song, and weakly applaud a couple times, turning back to the bar.

“Oh?” Ben asks. “Is he? I hadn’t noticed. And god, I think he’s rubbing off on Gwil. They need a break from each other, immediately.”

“He just wants us all to have fun, is all,” Rami says. “This holiday means a lot to him.”

Ben sighs, nodding. “I know,” he says. “It means a lot to me too, I’ve had a brilliant time.”

“Just ignore him,” Rami says, “if you can.”

“My name’s Joe,” they hear from the microphone, and they both turn, eyes wide. 

“Oh god,” Ben mutters. “That’s hard to ignore, isn’t it?”

Joe grins at them, winking. “And I’d like to dedicate this song to my fiancé.” He waves his left hand at the crowd. “He proposed to me yesterday.”

There are a couple cheers from the crowd, including one Ben’s pretty sure came from Gwil, and then the song starts. Joe holds onto the mic, bobbing his head up and down to the beat, toe tapping. 

“Do you know this song?” Rami asks quietly. Ben just nods.

Joe quickly clears his throat, and then starts singing. “_Well, I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body, I know not everybody has got a body like you_.” He points to Rami at that, smiling. “_Oh, but I gotta think twice before I give my heart away, and I know all the games you play because I played them too._” Joe starts dancing around, bouncing to the beat, as he continues to sing.

Ben looks at Rami, who’s watching Joe with a wide smile on his face. Rami’s foot is tapping along with the beat as well, and Ben finally gives in, smiling as well. “That’s your future husband right there,” Ben says softly, and Rami looks up at him.

“You’re bloody right it is,” Rami says, and he starting dancing a little bit too.

Ben shakes his head a bit, still smiling, and grabs the drinks, carrying them back to the table on his own, leaving Rami to keep clapping along with Joe. He sits down next to Gwil, who’s also got a huge grin on his face.

“He’s great,” Gwil says, picking up his beer. “I— he’s fantastic, love.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty good,” Ben agrees. “Even if he were terrible…”

Gwil shifts a bit. “What’s that?” he asks.

“Nothing,” Ben says, shaking his head. “Just…even if he was rotten, he’s having fun at least.” He reaches out, looking at his shot. He sighs, picking it up, shooting it back. He reaches back, rubbing his hand over his hair.

“You alright, love?” Gwil asks. Ben nods. “Are you sure?” he asks. “Don’t drink too much if you’re not up for it.”

“No, I’m fine,” Ben says. He is starting to feel it— well, he was probably already feeling it, but that last shot didn’t help much. He looks up at Joe, who’s turned around and is currently shaking his ass to the rhythm, and Ben starts to laugh. “He’s bloody brilliant,” he says.

Gwil smiles. “He really is,” he agrees, keeping time with the music on his thigh. “And Rami’s loving it.”

They watch as Joe finishes the song, putting the microphone back on the stand before he hurries over to Rami, who’s clapping wildly at the bar. 

“That was amazing,” Rami says, pulling Joe in for a kiss. “That was for me?” he asks.

Joe nods. “Well, the first couple lines anyway. I got up and there realized I’m pretty sure that song was about breaking up.”

Rami laughs loudly. “Yeah, I sort of noticed that too.” He pulls Joe in for another kiss, smiling at him. “Thank you for my song. You’re— that was so good, Joe!” he exclaims, clapping again. “You’re so good.”

“Thanks, babe,” Joe says, kissing him again. “You think you’re going to get up there?” he asks.

“Oh, I…” Rami swallows. “I did have sort an idea, but…”

“Yeah?” Joe asks eagerly. “Oh, babe, I’ll love it, I swear, whatever it is. It’s really fun once you’re up there.”

“Oh, I,” Rami sighs, looking around, and then the man who followed after Joe hits a very rough note, and Rami smiles. “Yeah, alright,” he says. “It’s just for fun, right?”

Joe claps a couple times, leading Rami over to where they sign up and pick their song, and then they walk back over to the table, where Gwil offers Joe his hand.

“Absolutely brilliant, mate,” Gwil says, and Joe shakes his hand happily. “Really. Great song too, catchy.”

“Well, I didn’t write it, but I will take credit for it, thank you,” Joe says. “Ooh, my shot.”

“I’m going to sing too,” Rami says.

Gwil raises his eyebrows, grinning. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing! Not, well, not much, anyway.”

Rami shrugs. “It’s just a bit of fun, really,” he says. “I…hope I’m alright.”

“Absolutely,” Gwil says, nodding eagerly. “I can’t wait.”

“What about you?” Rami asks, looking between Gwil and Ben.

Gwil picks up his beer, taking a sip, looking over at Ben. “Uh, we’re a bit undecided, I think. I wouldn’t have a clue what song to sing. You know I haven’t caught up on much.”

“Ben?” Rami asks eagerly.

Ben shrugs. “I couldn’t follow someone like Joe,” he says. “That was too good for me, mate.”

“You and Gwil could do a duet!” Joe says. “Oh man, like a love song. I think that’d be amazing.”

Ben smiles, blushing, looking away. “That’s alright,” he says. “I— I don’t know,” he says.

Joe picks up a chicken wing, smiling over at Ben. “I think you’d be great,” he says. “Just keep in mind my motto.”

“Oh,” Ben says, “what’s that? I don’t think I’ve heard this before.”

“Who gives a fuck,” Joe says, and Ben snorts, laughing. “Just…fucking go for it.” He waves his hand aimlessly, and then digs back into his food.

They keep eating and drinking, and they’re all feeling at least a bit tipsy, if not more. Rami and Joe are speaking a bit louder than they usually do, and Gwil’s eyes are wide and a bit unfocused. Ben’s sitting still in his chair, but he sort of feels like he’s about to fall off anyway. Then before they know it, Rami’s name appears on the screen, and it’s his turn.

“Oh, I don’t know anymore,” Rami says, looking around at the table, “that’s— it seemed like a good idea at the time. I don’t know anymore.”

“You’re going to be so good,” Joe says. He smiles, giving him a kiss. “Just look at me, okay? Nobody else. And you’ll be fine. Remember? Who gives a fuck.”

Rami smiles, visibly relaxing. “Okay,” he says. “I— okay.” He gets up, and walks to the microphone, and the three of them clap loudly for him. “Uh, this is for _my_ fiancé,” he says, and Joe waves proudly. “I proposed to him yesterday.”

“Yeah he did,” Joe says, and Ben smiles at him.

“Also, I can’t really sing,” Rami says quickly before the song starts. “_She packed my bags last night pre-flight, zero hour nine am. And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then._”

“That’s our song,” Joe says softly. “Oh my god, he’s singing our song. Guys, listen to him.”

“We are,” Gwil says, smiling at Rami, whose voice is shaking nervously, and who’s awkwardly shifting on his feet, watching the screen.

“_And I think it's gonna be a long, long time, till touch-down brings me round again to find I’m not the man they think I am at home, oh no no no I'm a rocket man_,” Rami sings, finally looking up at Joe, who’s beaming at him. “_Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone_.”

“He’s my rocket man,” Joe says. “Oh my god. I love him.”

Gwil smiles, patting Ben on the shoulder a couple times, pushing his chair back. “Just going to the loo,” he says when Ben looks up at him.

“But you’ll miss his song,” Ben says, and Gwil just winks at him. Joe keeps watching Rami, but Ben watches Gwil walk up, not going to the bathroom like he said, but instead Ben watches him sign up to sing, and Ben bites down on his lip. Gwil watches Rami from up by the bar, smiling proudly at him. 

When Rami finishes, Ben and Joe are immediately on their feet, clapping for him. Rami blushes, says a quick “thank you” and puts the mic back on the stand, and hurries away. Gwil pulls him into a hug, and Rami smiles, and then the two of them walk back over to Ben and Joe together.

“I love you so fucking much,” Joe says, kissing Rami. “Oh my god that was amazing.”

“It was the only thing I could think of,” Rami says, and Joe nods, kissing him again. “It was alright?”

“I think it was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen,” Joe says, smiling. “You serenaded me.”

Rami smiles, shrugging. “Well, you serenaded me first,” he says. “And you know how I like to copy your romantic gestures. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Joe says, smiling, kissing Rami’s forehead, and his nose, and finally on the lips again. “I got serenaded!” he says happily, as they sit back down. “It’s not every day I get serenaded.”

“Who else has ever serenaded you?” Gwil asks.

“Ben,” Joe says immediately, and then his eyes widen a bit. “Uh, I mean— no one.”

“_That’s_ your secret?” Gwil asks, at the same time that Rami says, “what?”

Ben just looks at Joe, who makes a face and mouthes _sorry_ at him.

“You serenaded Joe?” Gwil asks. “When was this?”

Ben sighs. “Well…after he serenaded me, obviously,” he says. “Honestly, I was _really_ pissed that night, and he— well, he wore me down.” He grabs a cold French fry. “I was in a bad place, emotionally.”

Gwil chuckles. “I— well, I’m sure that was true, but that’s not really an excuse for doing karaoke.”

“I was young and stupid,” Ben says.

“Oh?” Gwil asks. “So is that the same night you got your tattoo?”

“Not too far off, actually,” Joe says.

Someone else takes the stage, and Ben settles back in his chair, looking at Gwil. “What are you singing?” he asks quietly.

Gwil shrugs. “A very old song, love,” he says. “Not sure if you know it or not.”

“Was…” Ben rubs at his eyes. “Why are you singing?”

Gwil smiles. “I don’t know,” he says. “Thought if Rami could, I could too. Am I that terrible? Should I not?”

Ben shakes his head. “Are you upset with me?” he asks. “That I don’t want to sing?”

Gwil shakes his head quickly. “Of course not, love,” he says. “I— no. It’s just for fun, but if you don’t want to, don’t force yourself.” He reaches out, taking Ben’s hand. “But I don’t want you to go home tomorrow, regretting not stepping a bit outside your comfort zone.”

“I never regret staying in my comfort zone, thanks,” Ben says. Gwil raises his eyebrows, and Ben sighs. “Fine, _sometimes_ I think…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. If I was more like Joe. And Rami. And apparently now you as well. I’m just boring and…” He wavers a bit in his seat, trailing off.

Gwil chuckles softly, squeezing Ben’s hand. “You’re not boring, love,” he says, “I promise. My song will be dedicated to you, if that helps.”

Ben smiles faintly, snuggling against Gwil. “I’m excited to hear it,” he says.

“More drinks?” Joe asks. “Or is it too many. How much do regular responsible adults drink?”

“I’ll have another Sour Apple,” Ben says, lifting his hand a bit too quickly, the words feeling thick in his mouth.

Joe looks at Ben, studying him, then smiles. “That’s the one,” he says.

“The one what?” Ben asks, but Joe doesn’t say anything. 

Joe walks up to the bar, coming back with four more shots, handing one to Ben. “Here you go,” he says.

“The one what?” Ben asks again, taking his shot.

Joe smiles again. “The one that’s going to make you agree to sing,” he says.

Ben frowns, shaking his head a bit, settling back against Gwil. He sighs, starting to feel a bit more flushed, a bit warmer, a bit looser. It’s been a long time since he’s had anywhere near this amount of alcohol. And it’s the first time in an even longer time that he’s drank this much without it being a distraction from something, or to numb some sort of pain. There’s no pain to numb anymore. Not much, anyway. He’s had an amazing week, and this is their last night in New York. He looks up at Gwil, and then tilts his head, kissing Gwil’s jaw, the only part of him he can reach without moving any more than that.

“Yes?” Gwil asks, looking down at him.

Ben smiles up at Gwil, and Gwil smiles back down at him, and finally Ben sits up a bit. “Oh, fuck it,” he mutters, shoving his chair back.

“He’s so fucking easy,” Joe says, smirking as Ben walks up to the bar.

“Is he going to sing?” Rami asks, looking around.

“I…think so,” Gwil says, watching Ben sign up. “I— alright then.”

“Okay,” Joe says, “so we gotta keep him drunk enough that he doesn’t back out, but not too drunk that he gets up there and embarrasses himself. It’s a fine line now.”

Ben comes back over, dropping down heavily in his chair, reaching up to rub at his face. “I think I’ve forgotten how to sing,” he says suddenly, and Joe starts laughing.

“Okay, less alcohol,” Joe says. “For now, anyway. More food.” He pushes one of the plates towards Ben, who eagerly grabs at it. “Oh man,” Joe says, shaking his head a bit. “This is amazing.”

They keep eating and drinking as the night goes on; Ben has another shot, but then Joe gets him a glass of water to drink to try to balance him back out a bit more. Ben’s gulping back the glass when Gwil’s name comes up. Gwil pushes his chair back, and Ben quickly but unsteadily stands up as well, pulling Gwil in. “Good luck,” he says, giving Gwil a kiss.

Gwil smiles against his mouth, pulling back. “Thank you, love,” he says. “Remember: it’s for you, alright?”

Ben nods eagerly, wiping at his face, and then apparently forgets to sit back down, standing to watch as Gwil goes up to the microphone. He claps a couple times, and Rami turns to look at Ben, trying not to laugh, unused to seeing him drunk.

“Uh, this is probably a bit old for most of you,” Gwil says, “but…here goes.” He takes a deep breath, and the song starts. “_Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak, and I seem to find the happiness I seek, when we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek._”

Joe and Rami, both smiling, turn to look at Ben again, to see his reaction. Ben’s wavering on his feet a bit, blinking as he watches Gwil, eyes bright and shining. “I think he drank too much,” Rami says softly, turning back around.

Joe shrugs. “He needs it,” he says. “We’ll take care of him.”

“_Heaven, I'm in heaven, and the cares that hang around me through the week seem to vanish like a gambler's lucky streak, when we're out together dancing, cheek to cheek_,” Gwil continues, and Ben sniffles loudly, wiping at his face.

“Oh god, is he crying?” Rami asks. “Does he always cry when he drinks?”

Joe frowns a bit. “Uh, not always, no,” he says. “But he’ll be okay. He’ll get it out and be fine.”

Ben starts tapping his foot to the music, bobbing his head along to it, and he smiles at Gwil the entire time, never taking his seat. When Gwil finishes, giving an awkward bow to the crowd that then makes him shake his head a bit like, _what the hell was that_, Ben walks over to meet him, pulling him into a hug. “I love you,” he says, squeezing Gwil tightly. 

“I love you too,” Gwil says, rubbing Ben’s back.

“That was so good, Gwil,” Ben says, rubbing his cheek against Gwil’s shirt. “You’re so good.”

“Thank you, love,” Gwil says, smiling. He looks over at Rami and Joe, who are both watching with amused smiles on their faces. “Did you want to sit back down now?” he asks.

“We should go _dancing_ sometime,” Ben says, pulling back a bit. “Why don’t we dance?”

“Uh, well, certainly,” Gwil says. “I’d like that.”

“You said you and Rog liked to dance in your flat,” Ben says. “We danced at Christmas but that was it. Do you wish we danced more?”

Gwil smiles at Ben, reaching up to brush an unruly piece of hair from Ben’s face, before leaning in to kiss his forehead. “I’d love to dance with you, Ben.”

“Okay,” Ben says, hugging Gwil tightly. “Let’s go dancing. I promise.”

“Let’s sit down again,” Gwil says gently, leading Ben back over to the table, where Joe and Rami both applaud him.

“That was brilliant,” Rami says. “I love that song. That was so good! A regular Fred Astaire.”

“Hardly,” Gwil says, smiling at Rami, looking down in surprise when Ben snuggles against his shoulder, showing much more affection than he usually does in public. “Ben?” he asks.

“Yes?”

“Are you tired?” Gwil asks. “I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink, love.”

“I've had the same as everyone,” Ben says.

“I know that,” Gwil says, “but I still think we should go back to the hotel. You should sleep.”

Ben shakes his head. “I— I’m going to sing,” he says.

Gwil smiles faintly, looking up at Rami and Joe. “Are you sure?” he asks. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Ben says. “You all sang. I— don’t want to be the only one who didn’t.”

“I know, love,” Gwil says. “But just think about our flight tomorrow. We should be well-rested.”

Ben sits up, and sniffles, and Gwil reaches out, rubbing his back. “You…” he trails off, swallowing hard. “You don’t want to hear me sing.”

“That’s not true,” Gwil says. “We all want to hear you sing, don’t we?”

“Are you kidding,” Joe says, “I love Ben’s singing voice. Are you feeling okay though, Benny?”

Ben nods. “I’m a bit pissed,” he says, and Joe laughs softly.

“We noticed when you started to cry during Gwil’s song,” Joe says.

Ben smiles faintly. “It was a really pretty song.” He shakes his head. “No, I’m going to sing. I’m going to stay.” 

“Ben,” Gwil says softly.

“I want to stay,” Ben says, “I want to sing. I— I want to have fun.”

“We are having fun,” Joe says, “it was a great day, right?”

“I don’t want it to end,” Ben says. “Please can I stay?”

Gwil smiles faintly. “Of— you don’t have to ask, love. Of course.”

“Paul made me ask,” Ben says, rubbing at his head. “Paul counted my drinks. But sometimes he made me drink more than I wanted.”

“Ben,” Joe says gently. “You don’t have to talk about this, okay?”

“I’m going to sing,” Ben says. “What song did I pick?”

Rami laughs softly. “You didn’t tell us,” he says.

“Oh,” Ben says, picking up his water glass. “I guess it’s a surprise then. Can I have more water?”

“Let’s all have more water,” Joe says. “Maybe…bread. That’ll help.” He pushes his chair back from the table, heading up to the bar.

“What song did I pick,” Ben murmurs to himself, taking out his phone, starting to scroll through his music. 

“I’m looking forward to finding out,” Gwil says.

All four of them are drinking water, sharing pita bread and tortilla chips, when Ben’s name comes up on the screen. Ben stands up, head feeling just a bit clearer, walking up to the microphone. He looks down at the screen, and then smiles when the song title comes up. “Oh, I remember now,” he says, and Gwil, Rami, and Joe all smile, watching Ben take the mic. Ben bites down on his lip, and then takes a breath. “_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry, you don't know how lovely you are._”

“Oh god,” Joe mutters, his head falling forward. “Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?” Gwil asks softly.

“This is…” Joe looks back up, shaking his head. “This song’s just a bit…depressing.”

“Oh,” Gwil says, looking back at Ben.

“_Nobody said it was easy, it’s such a shame for us to part_,” Ben sings, voice shaking a bit, “_nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard._”

“He’s got a lovely voice,” Rami says, and Joe smiles.

“Yeah, he’s good,” he agrees, nodding along to the slow beat, starting to sway a bit in his seat.

When Ben sings “_tell me you love me_,” he looks right at Gwil, and Gwil smiles at him, making Ben smile nervously back, eyes going back to the screen. He doesn’t look up again until the song ends, and he can finally step back from the microphone. Gwil stands up, and Ben hurries over to him.

“You’re shaking, love,” Gwil says, pulling him in before helping him sit.

“I’m never doing that again,” Ben says, shaking his head.

Joe grins. “That’s what you told me the last time you serenaded me.” He laughs softly. “You sang Coldplay that night too.”

“Ben, that was really pretty,” Rami says, “you shouldn’t be nervous about singing.”

“I’m going to be sick,” Ben says. “Oh god, I regret it.”

Gwil chuckles softly. “Ben, love, should we go to bed now?”

Ben whimpers and nods pathetically. “Yes, please,” he says.

“Okay,” Gwil says, “I’ll go settle the bill.” He stands up, walking over to the bar.

“Ben?” Rami asks, and Ben looks over at him. “Really well done.”

“Thank you, Rami,” Ben says softly. “It was okay?” he asks, looking at Joe.

Joe grins and nods. “Of course it was, Benny. Gwil loved it too.”

Ben nods, looking over at the bar, where Gwil’s standing. “I love him.”

Rami and Joe grin. “Yeah, we got that,” Joe says, and Ben sighs dreamily.

They leave the bar, all in various states of drunkenness, with Joe somehow seemingly the most sober. “Okay, so like, 90 minutes on the subway,” he says, looking at his phone, “or maybe 45 minutes if we get a drive.”

“Can we stay here?” Ben asks, looking around. “Is our hotel— let’s find one here.”

Joe smiles. “Uh, I’m worried about what we do if he’s on the subway for 90 minutes,” he says.

“I’m worried what happens if we get stuck in traffic,” Gwil says.

“Ben,” Joe says, stepping in front of him, “how do you feel?”

“A little dizzy,” Ben says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks. “How’s your stomach?”

Ben shrugs. “I’m okay,” he says. “Just tired.”

“Okay,” Joe says, “we’re going to go on the subway, okay?”

Ben nods, and Gwil holds him close as the four of them walk to the subway, but Ben does seem to be mostly fine. There are two empty seats beside each other, so Rami and Ben sit down, and Joe and Gwil stand in front of them. Ben rests his head on Rami’s shoulder, snuggling against him.

By the time they get off at the 72nd Street/Broadway station, Ben’s asleep, and Rami is almost there as well. Joe and Gwil pass the trip quietly talking to each other about plans for the summer, what Joe’s got to do when he gets back to work, and the possibilities of a pizza oven. They carefully wake Ben and Rami, and walk to the hotel, Ben singing softly as they go. 

“Are you okay with him?” Joe asks Gwil when they’re in the lift.

Gwil nods, looking at Ben, who’s nodding his head along to the beat, eyes heavy, cheeks still a bit flushed. “Yeah, he’s alright,” he says.

They step out onto their floor, and Gwil guides Ben to their door. 

“Goodnight,” Ben says, looking at Joe and Rami. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Joe asks, unlocking their door.

“Being my best mates,” Ben says, reaching out to gently grasp onto Joe’s hand.

Joe grins. “We need to get you drunk more often if you’re going to compliment me all the time,” he says. “Goodnight, okay? Sleep in, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ben nods, rubbing tiredly at his face. Gwil opens the door, and guides Ben in.

“Goodnight,” Gwil says to Rami and Joe, watching as Ben toes off his trainers and pulls off his t-shirt, dropping it on the floor before collapsing on the bed. “Well, that’s him taken care of,” he says. “See you in the morning.”

Rami and Joe smile, and Rami gives Gwil a quick hug before following Joe into their hotel room.

Gwil smiles, and walks into his room, closing the door behind him, taking off his shoes as well, walking over to the bed. “Ben?” he asks.

“Yeah?” Ben murmurs, face buried in the bed.

Gwil smiles, sitting down beside him. “Just checking that you’re still alive,” he says.

“I drank too much,” Ben says, and Gwil shakes his head. 

“No, you drank the same as all of us,” Gwil says, “like you said. And it’s alright. You’re not sick, nothing bad happened.”

“I’m sorry,” Ben says, and he shifts so that he can look up at Gwil. “I embarrassed you.”

Gwil frowns. “When?” he asks.

Ben shrugs. “Just…all the time.”

Gwil shakes his head. “No, love, you didn’t,” he says. “I’m not Paul, okay? You’ve never embarrassed me, and certainly not tonight. It was a lovely night, and I very much enjoyed your song.”

“Really?” Ben asks, pushing himself up a bit. “I chose it for you.”

“Did you?” Gwil asks.

Ben nods. “It’s called _The Scientist_,” he says. “I picked it because you’re a scientist too.”

Gwil smiles down at Ben, reaching out to gently play with Ben’s hair. “I loved it,” he says.

“I liked your song too,” Ben says, pushing himself up a bit further. “And I meant it, about dancing. You can dance with me whenever.”

Gwil grins, leaning down to kiss Ben’s forehead. “I’ll remember that,” he says. “Are you comfy like this?” he asks. “You’re alright to sleep?”

Ben rolls onto his back, and nods. “I’m alright,” he says. “Are you alright?”

Gwil nods, taking off his shirt, and his shorts, climbing into bed next to Ben. “I’m perfectly well, thank you,” he says. 

Ben stretches out, yawning. “Alright,” he says. “Goodnight, Gwil.”

“Goodnight, Ben,” Gwil says, pressing a kiss to Ben’s arm, closing his eyes.

\+ + + + +

When Joe wakes up the next morning, he reaches out, finding the bed empty. He frowns and lifts his head, and then groans softly. “Too many Sour Apples,” he mutters, pushing himself up. “Hey babe,” he says, seeing Rami sitting on the floor next to their suitcases.

“Morning,” Rami says, looking up.

“Feeling okay?” Joe asks.

Rami nods. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, smiling. “Just thought I’d make sure we were packed.”

Joe groans and nods, climbing out of bed, dropping down next to him. He leans in, resting against him, and Rami smiles at him.

“How are you feeling?” Rami asks, folding a t-shirt. 

“How do I look?” Joe asks.

Rami pulls back a bit to study him. “Hmm, not your best,” he says, laughing softly.

Joe snorts, nodding. “Yeah, that’s…how I feel,” he says. “It was worth it though. Last night was great.”

“I think so too,” Rami says, folding a pair of shorts. “Thank you for your song.”

“Thank you for yours,” Joe says.

“You’re welcome,” Rami says. 

“I had some thoughts,” Joe says. “Or maybe more accurately it was a dream? I think? I don’t know. What is reality, anyway.”

Rami laughs softly. “What about?” he asks.

“Our wedding,” Joe says.

“Really?” Rami asks.

Joe nods. “Yeah,” he says. “I…had an idea. And you can say no, obviously. It’s _our_ wedding.”

Rami looks at him for a moment. “I…I wouldn’t say no to getting married here,” he starts carefully, “but we already picked the venue back—”

“Oh, no, not that,” Joe says, shaking his head. “No. Uh. The song. Our song. First dance, I mean. Sorry, it’s…” He looks at the clock. “Not that early, I’m just tired.”

Rami smiles. “What were you thinking?” he asks.

“Well, _Rocket Man_,” Joe says. “Obviously. I mean, it was our first _ever_ dance. And then you sang it to me. Would— what do you think? Would that be okay?”

Rami looks at Joe for a moment, and then nods eagerly. “I think it’s perfect,” he says.

“Yeah?” Joe asks, and Rami nods again, turning to wrap his arms around Joe, pulling him in. “Okay,” he says. “Yeah.”

“It’s…perfect really is the only word for it,” Rami says. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Joe smiles, pulling back to look at Rami. “I can’t believe that,” he says. “I still can’t.”

“Believe it,” Rami says. “Because I’m not going anywhere, so you’d better just accept it.”

“Okay,” Joe says. “I…okay.”

“Good,” Rami says, leaning in to give Joe a quick kiss. “Now help me pack,” he says. “I’m not your housewife.”

Joe laughs loudly. “No, I’m going to be _your_ housewife,” he says, reaching out to drag his suitcase closer to him. “I’m going to be the best.”

Rami smiles, shaking his head. “I’m sure you will,” he says. When he looks over at Joe again, Joe’s looking down at his hand, examining his ring. “You really like it?” he asks, and Joe looks up, smiling.

“I love it,” Joe says. He gives Rami a kiss. “It’s perfect.”

Rami smiles back. “Good,” he says. “I’m so happy.” He turns back to his suitcase, and folds another shirt.

\+ + + + +

Ben wakes slowly, murmuring a quiet noise as his eyes flicker a bit. His head turns on the pillow and he takes a deep breath, stretching out under the blankets before he rolls to his side. He groans softly as his stomach shifts a bit queasily and he yawns, reaching up to rub at his face as his eyes finally open. He blinks blearily, looking around. Gwil’s not in bed with him, so Ben pushes himself up a bit, looking around. He reaches up, scratching his head, pushing at his hair, and he has to smile when he hears Gwil’s singing softly to himself in the bathroom. Then the night comes rushing back to him and he frowns a bit. He sits up all the way, looking down at his lap, trying to figure out how he feels.

“Morning, love,” Gwil says, walking out of the bathroom with just his boxer-briefs on, a small towel in his hands. “Did you sleep well?” 

“I…don’t know,” Ben murmurs, yawning again. “What time is it?”

“Just after ten,” Gwil says, looking at his shirts, picking out one to wear for the flight.

“What time are we leaving?” Ben asks.

“In about an hour,” Gwil says, glancing over at him. “Are you alright?”

Ben nods, picking at a loose string on the blanket. “Did I…” He swallows, blinking a couple times.

“Do you remember last night?” Gwil walks over to the bed, sitting down on the edge.

Ben nods. “Yeah, I wasn’t that pissed,” he says. “I…just…said things.”

Gwil smiles faintly. “A few, yeah.”

“Yeah,” Ben says. He shakes his head a bit. “I— god, I can’t believe some of the things I said.” He flops back onto the bed, then frowns a bit, lifting the blanket up. “Did you undress me?” he asks, looking over at Gwil.

Gwil chuckles, shaking his head. “Uh, no, that was from you at 5am, talking about how hot it was and you thought you were being smothered from the heat.”

Ben looks at Gwil, his mouth hanging open a bit. “Well, maybe I don’t remember _everything_, then,” he says.

Gwil smiles. “You were…mostly asleep, I think. It’s fine. We weren’t awake for long.”

Ben nods slowly, thinking. “God, I sang, didn’t I.”

“You did.”

“God, that’s awful,” Ben says, turning to hide his face away in the pillow. “I…ugh, and I sang Coldplay. Why did I sing bloody Coldplay?”

“I thought it was good,” Gwil says. “I think I’d like to listen to them when we get back.” He pats Ben on the leg a couple times and walks back over to his suitcase. “Joe texted, they’re awake. Asking about breakfast. Or brunch, before the airport. I think it’s too close for that, so I think we’re just going to eat when we get there, alright?”

“God, I can’t eat today,” Ben says. “Especially not after last night.”

“I wish you would,” Gwil says. “So you’re just not going to eat until tomorrow morning? Ben, you’ll starve.”

“I’ll be fine,” Ben says. “I just…god. I ruined it, didn’t I?”

“Ruined what?” Gwil asks. 

“Yesterday,” Ben says. “Our last night in New York, and I— started crying in a pub while my boyfriend sang a love song. God, and— ugh.” He groans loudly. “Fucking mentioned Paul,” he mutters, mostly to himself.

“You did,” Gwil says, tugging on a pair of joggers.

“I’m sorry,” Ben says, “I—” He blows out his breath. “Well. I’m sorry, is all.”

Gwil turns around, looking at Ben. “Ben, love,” he starts, and Ben groans.

“Don’t, Gwil,” he says, “just…don’t, alright? I know what you’re going to say, I know, I’ve heard it before.” He pulls up the blankets around him, snuggling in deeper.

Gwil smiles, walking over to the bed, climbing back in alongside him. 

“Gwil,” Ben says, tugging the blankets over his head, and Gwil laughs, tugging the blankets over his head as well. “Gwil, if you get under here with me, we’re going to run out of oxygen.”

Gwil laughs again, climbing onto Ben, resting his chin on his chest, looking up at him. “Well love, I’m already under here, so let’s just enjoy our last moments together.”

“Stop it,” Ben whines.

Gwil grins, running his hands up Ben’s ribs, starting to gently tickle him, and Ben laughs despite himself, wiggling under him. “I love your smile,” Gwil murmurs, pushing himself up a bit to give Ben a kiss.

“Gwil,” Ben says, “you’re— I’m trying to be serious, here.”

“And I’m trying to distract you from all that,” Gwil says. “You didn’t ruin anything.”

Ben looks at him, sighing a bit. “I…think I…” He swallows.

“Yes?” Gwil asks.

“I think I sort of knew that,” Ben says. He sighs. “I think part of me…” He sighs again. “Good thing I’ve got therapy this week,” he says, and Gwil smiles.

“Me too,” he says, giving him another kiss. Then he pushes himself up, lifting the blankets off the both of them. “Now come on, love. We’ve got to shower, get dressed, finishing getting our things together.”

Ben whines. “I don’t want to,” he says. “I want to stay here.”

“In New York?” Gwil asks. “Or in this bed specifically? Because I can tell you, love, there are at least two beds waiting for you back home, and I’m sure Rami and Joe would let you sleep there as well, so that’s four.”

Ben groans loudly. “I’m tired,” he says. “And I won’t sleep at all on the plane. You three go ahead, I’m going to stay here. Move in with Ginnie. She loves me.”

“Well, alright,” Gwil says. “I’m not happy about leaving you behind, but letting you stay with Ginnie…that’s a good idea. She’d take care of you.”

Ben smiles, and then looks over when there’s a knock at the door. He quickly grabs at the blankets, covering himself up again, and Gwil walks over, checking the peephole first before opening it up.

“Good morning,” Gwil says.

“Morning,” Joe says. “Morning, Ben!”

“Ugh, good morning,” Ben mutters.

“We’re going for a quick walk,” Joe says. “Just to the park and back, one last time. You guys in?”

“Do we have time?” Gwil asks.

Joe nods. “Yeah, I think so. Just…want to see it before we go, you know? You guys don’t have to come if you’re busy.”

“Ben?” Gwil asks, glancing back at him.

Ben takes a deep breath, and sighs. “Yeah, just…five minutes,” he says.

“Five minutes,” Gwil says, and Joe smiles.

“Okay! Meet you downstairs then.”

Gwil closes the door, looking over at Ben. “Five minutes, love,” he says. “To get dressed, brush your teeth, wash you—”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Ben grumbles, finally pushing himself up.

\+ + + + +

They walk to the park together, Rami and Ben trailing behind Joe and Gwil, who are leading the way. Ben takes a deep breath, and then groans softly.

“Are you okay?” Rami asks, looking over at him, reaching out to rest his hand on Ben’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ben sighs.

“Are you going to be ill?” Rami asks quietly. “From last night?”

Ben shakes is head. “No, don’t worry, I’m alright,” he says. “I’m just…I’m not sure. Just hate the idea of being stuck on a plane for nine hours, makes me want to cry a bit.”

Rami smiles sympathetically, nodding. “I know, me too,” he says. He sighs. “Well, at least we’re on the way home— you won’t ever have to fly again, if you don’t want to. This could be it!”

Ben smiles back. “Thanks, Rami,” he says. “That’s…actually sort of comforting.” He looks forward, watching Joe showing Gwil something on his phone. Even though they’ve been close now for months, Ben still thinks of how much Joe hated Gwil, how much he wanted to protect Ben from him. He’s just so bloody relieved that’s all in the past now.

“Oh, that’s a handsome photo,” Gwil says softly, nodding, leaning down to get a closer look as Joe zooms in.

“Yeah,” Joe says, smiling up at Gwil. “Mary said he really likes you.”

Gwil looks up, smiling at Joe. “I really like him too.”

“He’s kind of great,” Joe says. “They all are.”

Gwil pats Joe on the shoulder a couple times. “And you’re a great uncle,” he says.

“Thank you,” Joe says, putting his phone away. “I bet you were too.”

Gwil swallows hard, looking at Joe, and then he nods jerkily. “I, uh, yes,” he says. “I think I was too.”

“So tell me more about them,” Joe says. “I mean, youngest of four, birth control hadn’t been invented,” he grins. “I’m guessing you had enough nieces and nephews for a baseball team.”

Gwil laughs softly. “Uh, yes, actually.” He glances back at Ben and Rami, smiling a bit. “I had six nieces and three nephews,” he says, looking back at Joe.

Joe’s eyes widen a bit. “Are you fucking kidding me?” he asks loudly, and then winces a bit when he remembers that they’re in public. “Gwil, that’s insane,” he says, a bit quieter.

“Well, I had two brothers and a sister,” Gwil says. “It’s not as though one of them had nine children. Owain had four, Geraint had three, Rhiannon had two.” He blinks, thinking for a moment. “Or at least, that’s how many they had when I left. I suppose it— it could have been more.”

“Right,” Joe says softly, nodding. “Well, we’ll figure it out, right?”

Gwil nods. “Yes, I— I’m worried, though,” he says. “I told Ben; he doesn’t think I need to be, but I am.”

“Hey, big guy, it’s okay,” Joe says. “If you don’t— we don’t have to, right? I’ll stop bringing it up right now if you want me to. We can forget it.”

Gwil nods again. “I know,” he says. “Thank you. I just, I just need to think a bit more. But thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Joe says, smiling at him. “Anything you need, I’m your guy.” They get to the park, and Joe just immediately finds a space on the ground for them to sit down. He looks around the park, running his hands over the grass, smiling. The sun is shining bright, it’s warm, it’s a lovely day. He hates to leave it. But he’s happy he’s here.

“What are you thinking about?” Rami asks.

Joe shrugs, looking at him. “Just…I don’t know. All the times I’ve been here, all the people I’ve been here with. John and Mary, my parents. You guys.” He glances around at Ben and Gwil. “Just thinking about what a lucky guy I am, is all.” He smiles.

Rami grins, leaning in to playfully rest his chin on Joe’s shoulder for a moment. “You are very lucky,” he says. “But you also deserve it.”

“Really?” Joe asks. “What’d I ever do to deserve you?”

Rami shrugs, still smiling. “I don’t know,” he says. “Must’ve been something in a past life.”

Ben snorts at that, laughing softly, and Gwil smiles.

“Very funny,” Joe says. “Maybe in my next life I’ll be friends with people who don’t bully me so much.”

“Don’t count on it, mate,” Ben says. 

“He’s right,” Gwil says, “you’re far too easy to make fun of.”

“Jesus,” Joe mutters, flopping back on the grass. “I can’t believe the idiots I’m stuck with.”

“_You_?” Ben asks. “Christ, how do you think I feel?”

“Rude,” Joe says, looking over at him. “You love me. I know you do, so just stop.”

“Yeah, I do,” Ben says. “I…yeah. I do.”

Joe smiles. “I love you too, Benny.”

“I can’t believe how quickly the week went by,” Gwil says after a moment. “I…we’ll be back on the plane soon.”

“Don’t remind me,” Rami says. He lays back on the grass, looking up at the sky. “I’m going to stretch out as much as I can right now.” He takes a deep breath. “And get as much fresh air as I can too.”

Gwil laughs softly. “Brilliant idea,” he says. He drops down onto the grass as well, and Ben just smiles, rolling his eyes.

Joe looks over at Ben, and then starts to crawl towards him on the grass, and Ben just puts his hand up. 

“Stop it,” Ben says, and Joe laughs, springing up to tackle Ben down to the grass.

“Oh, Benny,” Joe says, snuggling against him. “God, you’re comfy. Like a buff pillow. This is nice.” He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Are we going to talk about what you said last night?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head. “No,” he says, “not right now.”

“Okay,” Joe says. “I’ll listen, you know.”

“I know,” Ben says. He looks at Joe. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Joe asks, pushing himself up a bit.

“For everything,” Ben says. “I mean, this trip. All the things you showed us, and…I don't know, thank you for being my best mate.” He smiles faintly at him. “And for encouraging me to sing.”

Joe grins. “Benny, buddy, watching you serenade your boyfriend was one of the best things I’ve ever seen. Second pretty much to watching you cry when he serenaded you.”

“That was bloody embarrassing,” Ben says. “God, I regret drinking as much as I did but I do sort of wish I could forget that.”

Joe smiles. “What did he tell you when you told him about university?” he asks. “Did he freak out and start to hate you, like you suspected he would?”

Ben rolls his eyes, shaking his head a bit. “No,” he says softly.

“No?” Joe echoes. “That doesn’t sound right. Are you sure he didn’t make a _huge_ deal of it and—”

“He said he’d move with me,” Ben says, looking at Joe. “No matter where I get in, if it’s not London, he’ll…we’ll find a flat together. Maybe get a cat.”

Joe looks at Ben for a moment, and then grins widely, starting to laugh. “Really?” he asks. “Really? You— Ben, come on. That’s amazing.”

Ben shrugs. “It was a better reaction than I thought it would be, yeah,” he says.

“Ben, come on,” Joe says. “That’s— man. I…kind of hope you get into London, because I’ll miss you if you leave me, but, I don’t know. I kind of want to see you and Gwil out there, tackling the world together too.”

“I’d never go too far,” Ben says, “and I’ll always come back.”

Joe nods slowly, and then he blinks a couple times, looking away from Ben.

“What’s wrong now?” Ben asks.

“Nothing,” Joe says. “I’d…I guess it’s kind of hitting me that like, we’re going to have different lives at some point, you know?”

Ben lifts his head up, looking over at where Gwil and Rami are stretched out on the grass next to each other, quietly talking as well. “Yeah, I think…that point may have already started,” he says. “Once you met Rami, I think I— well.” He smiles. “You can’t get married and have a baby and be worried about taking care of me all the time.”

Joe shrugs. “I can try,” he says. “It’s just weird. I told Rami that I kind of thought you and me would just…die together.”

Ben laughs loudly. “God, Joe, that’s an awful thing to say,” he says.

“Well, am I wrong?” Joe asks. “I mean, it’s not like you were out there looking for love. And I— well, I guess I wasn’t either. You know? We were just…it was going to be you and me.” He looks over at Gwil and Rami again.

Ben smiles. “Yeah, until some bloody idiot who was supposed to be working on the rover program found a hundred-year-old spaceship on the radio.”

Joe grins, looking back at Ben. “What can I say? I was getting desperate.”

Ben snorts and rolls his eyes, shifting to watch Rami and Gwil as well. “Yeah, well,” he says, “I’m sort of happy you did.”

\+ + + + +

Ben groans softly, looking down at his feet.

“Are you alright?” Gwil asks, looking at Ben as they wait to board.

Ben nods, and reaches out to take Gwil’s hand. “Just tired,” he says.

“Bit of a rough night, yeah?” Gwil says, smiling.

Ben smiles back, rolling his eyes. “I can’t wait to get into bed, sleep forever,” he says. “At least until the weekend.”

Gwil leans down, kissing the top of Ben’s head, then playfully ruffles his hair. “What weekend?” he asks. “You don’t work.”

“Ha ha,” Ben says, resting against Gwil until he’s called up to the counter. They show their passports and walk down the boarding bridge to the plane, followed by Rami and Joe.

Joe stops right before they’re about to board, taking a couple steps back, letting other people on the plane in front of him.

“Joe?” Rami asks, looking back at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Joe says, bouncing up and down on his feet a couple times. “Just…spending a couple more seconds in New York.”

Rami smiles, and steps off to the side with Joe. “Okay,” he says, “just a bit longer.”

Ben and Gwil look back at them, and Joe just waves them on. “I’ll be fine,” he says, “just one minute. Just gotta say my goodbyes.”

“Okay,” Ben says, and he and Gwil board, showing the flight attendant their passports and boarding passes. They walk down to their seats, another row of four, and Gwil smiles over at Ben.

“Aisle seats again, love?” Gwil asks, putting his bag in the compartment above his head.

“Actually,” Ben says, “can I…sit by you?” He shifts on his feet a bit. “You can have the aisle, that’s fine. I just don’t want to be that far away again.”

Gwil smiles, leaning down to give Ben a quick kiss. “That sounds lovely,” he says. “You’re sure? You can have the aisle, if you’d like.”

Ben shakes his head. “No, that’s fine,” he says. “Your legs need the room more than mine.”

“Okay,” Gwil says. He takes his seat on the aisle, and watches as Ben sits next to him, buckling himself in, but immediately resting against Gwil’s side. Gwil smiles, kissing Ben’s forehead. He looks up when he hears Joe gasp loudly.

“What’s this now?” Joe asks. “Whose idea was this? What are we supposed to do now? Babe? Aisle or Ben?”

Rami smiles. “Ben, obviously,” he says.

“I knew it,” Joe mutters.

Rami drops down next to Ben, smiling at him. “Didn’t want the aisle seat this time?” he asks.

Ben shakes his head, taking Gwil’s hand. “Wanted my boyfriend more,” he says, and Rami grins. 

“That’s sweet,” he says, settling back, looking over at Joe. “Are you alright on the aisle?” Rami asks.

Joe nods, settling back in his seat, getting comfortable. “I’m okay if I’ve got you,” he says, leaning in to give Rami a kiss, and Rami smiles.

“Me too,” he says, settling a bit closer to Joe. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. “Wake me up when we get there?” he asks.

Joe chuckles softly. “Babe, you’re gonna be awake long before we get there. Also, it’s 4 in the afternoon.”

“Ugh, I know,” Rami groans, “but you could at least have the decency to lie to me.”

Joe smiles. “Okay, fine,” he says. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

“Thank you,” Rami murmurs.

“What about you?” Gwil asks, reaching up, running his fingertips over Ben’s cheek.

“What about me?” Ben asks, shifting in his seat, eyes closed.

“You want me to wake you up when we get there?” Gwil asks.

“Mm,” Ben murmurs, smiling. “We both know I’m not falling asleep on this plane, Gwil.”

Gwil chuckles. “Maybe not,” he says. “But I hope you do.”

“Me too,” Ben says softly, nuzzling against Gwil’s arm. “That sounds nice.”

Joe settles back in his seat, looking around at the plane. He catches Gwil’s eye, and smiles. Gwil smiles back, and then rests a bit closer to Ben, closing his eyes. Joe nods slowly, looking around a bit more. He looks out the window, and smiles faintly. “See you later, New York.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • the end of another mini-era! this story became much more than I was expecting (of course).  
• this chapter in particular kind of got away from me and I'm not super happy with it but I did what I could.  
• I know it covers a LOT of stuff, hopefully you enjoyed it! I had high hopes I don't think I met.  
• the bits in particular that I wanted to include were Gwil and Ben talking about living together, and Ben singing.  
• because that boy just needs to get out of his shell a bit more sometimes.  
• but as a result, got a bit of a soundtrack this time: [Joe's song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cs3Pvmmv0E), [Rami's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtVBCG6ThDk), [Gwil's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILxo-TUkzOQ&t=), and [Ben's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB-RcX5DS5A).  
• let me know your thoughts, if you liked it, and I will see you again with another story from the boys!


End file.
